Topline: What was meant to help students, became a trap.
Published: April 20, 2025 7:00 am ET
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Tyler Eden (via Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
BARTOW, FL — A teacher and head football coach in Florida was arrested after he allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct with female students he met with for community service hours.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Tyler Eden, 31, has been charged with Lewd Offense against a Student by an Authority Figure (F2), Lewd and Lascivious Touching of a Minor (F3), and Voyeurism (M1).
The investigation began on April 2, 2025, after a parent reported inappropriate conversations their daughter had with Mr. Eden, a teacher at Bartow High School, when the student met with him to perform extra-curricular work for community service hours.
During the investigation, that included interviews with students and a school administrator, detectives learned that Eden asked a student if she wanted to earn community service hours by helping him with athletic chores. The student agreed, and went to the locker room where she began to sort football helmets at his direction.
During this first interaction, Eden talked to the female victim about a teacher who wanted to have sex with him in the locker room, according to police.
The victim said she told the coach that she didn’t want to talk about that Eden continued the conversation, telling the victim that he was married, but still wanted to engage in sexual activity with the teacher, police said.
The next day, the female victim went back to perform more community service. As the victim was helping Eden break down boxes, her hoodie jacket got caught on one of the boxes and the zipper broke open. The hoodie served as her top, so she asked Eden for a T-shirt that she could put on, as she wished to cover herself up.
Eden responded by reaching out and unzipping her jacket all the way, at which point she told him that she was uncomfortable—the only clothing she was wearing underneath the hoodie was a bra.
Police say Eden repeatedly tried to fix the jacket, but eventually handed her a t shirt. The victim walked into a separate locker room area to change. When she turned around, he was standing right behind her, watching her. He then complimented her bra, and told her repeatedly there were no cameras there.
The victim told Eden she was uncomfortable, at which time Eden asked her not to report the incident. The student reported the incident to her parents that evening, and then to school administrators the next day.
When asked by school administrators what occurred, Eden first said that he only provided the student with a shirt. Then as he was told that he was being placed on administrative leave, he said that he wanted to admit something, and told the staff that, at the student’s request, he attempted to help her fix her zipper.
“Not only is this highly inappropriate behavior by a teacher, imagine just how frightened this student was,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Here was a male teacher who was already discussing lewd behavior, unzipping her clothes, then following her into a locker room where he remarked there are no cameras, and complimenting her undergarments. This guy is a total creep, and now he’s going to jail. We are not going to tolerate school teachers and coaches preying on our children.”
During the investigation, detectives interviewed two other female students. One student reported that Eden told her there were no cameras in the locker rooms and how it would be “easy to do certain things in there,” according to police.
He also stated that he was popular and that another teacher wanted to have sex with him in the locker room. The other student told detectives that Eden asked her what she wanted to do when she graduated—she told him that she wanted to go to college and be an obstetrician/gynecologist. Eden told the student that he himself would be a good Ob/Gyn because he liked to perform oral sex on women, using crude and graphic language, police indicated.
He then asked the student if she wanted to earn community service hours, and she declined.
“It’s unconscionable that an educator and coach would engage in this kind of behavior with students,” PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid said. “This individual has shown that he cannot be trusted, and deserves to face justice for his actions. We commend the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation, and for taking action to protect students.”
Eden was booked into the Polk County Jail.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Tyler Eden (via Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
BARTOW, FL — A teacher and head football coach in Florida was arrested after he allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct with female students he met with for community service hours.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Tyler Eden, 31, has been charged with Lewd Offense against a Student by an Authority Figure (F2), Lewd and Lascivious Touching of a Minor (F3), and Voyeurism (M1).
The investigation began on April 2, 2025, after a parent reported inappropriate conversations their daughter had with Mr. Eden, a teacher at Bartow High School, when the student met with him to perform extra-curricular work for community service hours.
During the investigation, that included interviews with students and a school administrator, detectives learned that Eden asked a student if she wanted to earn community service hours by helping him with athletic chores. The student agreed, and went to the locker room where she began to sort football helmets at his direction.
During this first interaction, Eden talked to the female victim about a teacher who wanted to have sex with him in the locker room, according to police.
The victim said she told the coach that she didn’t want to talk about that Eden continued the conversation, telling the victim that he was married, but still wanted to engage in sexual activity with the teacher, police said.
The next day, the female victim went back to perform more community service. As the victim was helping Eden break down boxes, her hoodie jacket got caught on one of the boxes and the zipper broke open. The hoodie served as her top, so she asked Eden for a T-shirt that she could put on, as she wished to cover herself up.
Eden responded by reaching out and unzipping her jacket all the way, at which point she told him that she was uncomfortable—the only clothing she was wearing underneath the hoodie was a bra.
Police say Eden repeatedly tried to fix the jacket, but eventually handed her a t shirt. The victim walked into a separate locker room area to change. When she turned around, he was standing right behind her, watching her. He then complimented her bra, and told her repeatedly there were no cameras there.
The victim told Eden she was uncomfortable, at which time Eden asked her not to report the incident. The student reported the incident to her parents that evening, and then to school administrators the next day.
When asked by school administrators what occurred, Eden first said that he only provided the student with a shirt. Then as he was told that he was being placed on administrative leave, he said that he wanted to admit something, and told the staff that, at the student’s request, he attempted to help her fix her zipper.
“Not only is this highly inappropriate behavior by a teacher, imagine just how frightened this student was,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Here was a male teacher who was already discussing lewd behavior, unzipping her clothes, then following her into a locker room where he remarked there are no cameras, and complimenting her undergarments. This guy is a total creep, and now he’s going to jail. We are not going to tolerate school teachers and coaches preying on our children.”
During the investigation, detectives interviewed two other female students. One student reported that Eden told her there were no cameras in the locker rooms and how it would be “easy to do certain things in there,” according to police.
He also stated that he was popular and that another teacher wanted to have sex with him in the locker room. The other student told detectives that Eden asked her what she wanted to do when she graduated—she told him that she wanted to go to college and be an obstetrician/gynecologist. Eden told the student that he himself would be a good Ob/Gyn because he liked to perform oral sex on women, using crude and graphic language, police indicated.
He then asked the student if she wanted to earn community service hours, and she declined.
“It’s unconscionable that an educator and coach would engage in this kind of behavior with students,” PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid said. “This individual has shown that he cannot be trusted, and deserves to face justice for his actions. We commend the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation, and for taking action to protect students.”
Eden was booked into the Polk County Jail.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
“Total Creep”: Florida Football Coach Accused of Using Community Service Program to Exploit Female Students
What was meant to help students, became a trap.
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 20, 2025 7:00 am ET
Tyler Eden (via Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
BARTOW, FL — A teacher and head football coach in Florida was arrested after he allegedly engaged in sexual misconduct with female students he met with for community service hours.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Tyler Eden, 31, has been charged with Lewd Offense against a Student by an Authority Figure (F2), Lewd and Lascivious Touching of a Minor (F3), and Voyeurism (M1).
The investigation began on April 2, 2025, after a parent reported inappropriate conversations their daughter had with Mr. Eden, a teacher at Bartow High School, when the student met with him to perform extra-curricular work for community service hours.
During the investigation, that included interviews with students and a school administrator, detectives learned that Eden asked a student if she wanted to earn community service hours by helping him with athletic chores. The student agreed, and went to the locker room where she began to sort football helmets at his direction.
During this first interaction, Eden talked to the female victim about a teacher who wanted to have sex with him in the locker room, according to police.
The victim said she told the coach that she didn’t want to talk about that Eden continued the conversation, telling the victim that he was married, but still wanted to engage in sexual activity with the teacher, police said.
The next day, the female victim went back to perform more community service. As the victim was helping Eden break down boxes, her hoodie jacket got caught on one of the boxes and the zipper broke open. The hoodie served as her top, so she asked Eden for a T-shirt that she could put on, as she wished to cover herself up.
Eden responded by reaching out and unzipping her jacket all the way, at which point she told him that she was uncomfortable—the only clothing she was wearing underneath the hoodie was a bra.
Police say Eden repeatedly tried to fix the jacket, but eventually handed her a t shirt. The victim walked into a separate locker room area to change. When she turned around, he was standing right behind her, watching her. He then complimented her bra, and told her repeatedly there were no cameras there.
The victim told Eden she was uncomfortable, at which time Eden asked her not to report the incident. The student reported the incident to her parents that evening, and then to school administrators the next day.
When asked by school administrators what occurred, Eden first said that he only provided the student with a shirt. Then as he was told that he was being placed on administrative leave, he said that he wanted to admit something, and told the staff that, at the student’s request, he attempted to help her fix her zipper.
“Not only is this highly inappropriate behavior by a teacher, imagine just how frightened this student was,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Here was a male teacher who was already discussing lewd behavior, unzipping her clothes, then following her into a locker room where he remarked there are no cameras, and complimenting her undergarments. This guy is a total creep, and now he’s going to jail. We are not going to tolerate school teachers and coaches preying on our children.”
During the investigation, detectives interviewed two other female students. One student reported that Eden told her there were no cameras in the locker rooms and how it would be “easy to do certain things in there,” according to police.
He also stated that he was popular and that another teacher wanted to have sex with him in the locker room. The other student told detectives that Eden asked her what she wanted to do when she graduated—she told him that she wanted to go to college and be an obstetrician/gynecologist. Eden told the student that he himself would be a good Ob/Gyn because he liked to perform oral sex on women, using crude and graphic language, police indicated.
He then asked the student if she wanted to earn community service hours, and she declined.
“It’s unconscionable that an educator and coach would engage in this kind of behavior with students,” PCPS Superintendent Fred Heid said. “This individual has shown that he cannot be trusted, and deserves to face justice for his actions. We commend the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation, and for taking action to protect students.”
Eden was booked into the Polk County Jail.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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