MIRAMAR, Fla. – A former teacher and athletic director at Everglades High School in Broward County is facing sexual battery charges in a case involving a former student.
Carlos Menendez, 48, has been held without bond at the Broward County main jail since May 27. The Sunrise Police Department was the arresting agency, records show.
Menendez was the subject of local, state, and federal probes, according to the arrest warrant. He was teaching in Delaware after resigning from Broward County Public School.
A former Everglades High School student came forward in Miramar.
The victim first filed a report on Dec. 10, 2020, and said she had three pregnancy scares with Menendez as a teenage girl because he chose not to wear condoms.
She said the first and second sex acts happened in Menendez’s vehicle in early 2017, police said. She said she was driving her to a friend’s house when he pulled over to the side of the road. It allegedly happened in his backseat.
The three other sex acts were in a closet at Menendez’s office in the school, in the athletic training room, and in a classroom, according to the arrest warrant. She said he nearly got caught when someone knocked on the door of his office.
The victim told a detective she saw several inappropriate text messages between Menendez and a student at Cypress Bay High School where he worked after leaving Everglades High School. She said the other student sent him selfies and Menendez sent her love songs.
Menendez allegedly told her he had only had sex with his wife and her in his life. She started to doubt him when she found messages from a student at Cypress Bay High School where he worked after leaving Everglades High School, according to the warrant.
She said the Cypress Bay High School student sent him selfies and Menendez sent her love songs.
The 2017 victim later changed her mind about pursuing the case. Menendez allegedly had an attorney contact her after she made the initial report in 2020. Menendez had also allegedly threatened to kill himself if she reported the statutory rape to authorities.
It took her about five years to agree to talk to authorities again. The FBI and the Miramar Police Department investigated the victim tampering case.
Earlier this year, the victim showed a Miramar detective incriminating WhatsApp messages, records show. Officers had already witnessed a confirmatory call to the same phone number belonging to Menendez, according to the warrant.
Menendez is facing five charges of sexual battery by a person in custodial authority on a victim over 12 and under 18.
Detectives fear Menendez had other victims. The FBI is asking anyone with information about crimes against minors to submit a tip online or call 1-800-225-5324.