MIAMI – Two teenage boys in Miami-Dade and Broward counties recently accused authority figures at their schools of using their positions to openly take a special interest in them — only to later turn into sexual predators, police said.
Mohammed Hamza Ahmed, a teacher, and Tracy Michelle Smith, a school principal, were facing criminal charges Wednesday related to the teens’ allegations of sexual misconduct, records show.
Special victims units’ detectives who investigated both of the unrelated cases gathered anecdotes about how Ahmed and Smith allegedly crossed professional boundaries before the crimes.
“He was friendly to this kid; he used to buy him stuff,” a Country Club Middle School student told Local 10 News about Ahmed, while speaking on condition of anonymity, adding, “He bought me stuff too.”
Detectives accused Smith, 43, and Ahmed, 28, of sexually abusing their students at their schools. Smith worked at Xceed Preparatory Academy in Broward, and Ahmed worked at Country Club Middle School in Miami-Dade.
Police officers found Ahmed used a photo of a 13-year-old Country Club student as a background on the cell phone where he also stored child porn, according to the arrest report.
The student in the background photo, according to police, was the same boy who reported Ahmed had given him a card with a hand-written message that read, “I look forward to celebrating a lifetime of birthdays with you.
“I love you so much! With lots of love, your big brother Momo.”
Meanwhile in Coral Springs, a 10th-grade Xceed Preparatory Academy student told police officers that he first perceived Smith as a “motherly figure,” but the nature of their exchanges changed as he frequently spent the day in her office, according to a police arrest report.
The Xceed student reported that Smith brought an additional chair into her office, so the two could “lock legs” while at her desk, and on another occasion sexually molested him while they were supposed to go over a Mathematics test, according to the arrest report.
Police officers arrested Ahmend on Monday in Miami-Dade County and Smith on Tuesday in Broward County. They were each facing charges of an authority figure engaging in sexual contact with a student, a second-degree felony.
Ahmed was also facing charges of tampering with a witness party to a second-degree felony, a first-degree felony, and child abuse with no great bodily harm, a third-degree felony.
Learn about warning signs
Here is a list of warning signs that may indicate an adult is behaving like a child sexual predator:
- The adult is ignoring social, emotional, or physical boundaries or limits, therefore making others feel uncomfortable.
- The adult is ignoring limits set by the students or keeping the students from setting a limit, especially while using teasing or belittling language in the process.
- The adult insists on physical contact such as hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling, or holding even when the student rejects it.
- The adult turns to a student for emotional or physical comfort by sharing personal or private information or activities that are normally shared with adults.
- The adult frequently points out sexual images or tells inappropriate or suggestive jokes with students present.
- The adult repeatedly exposes a student to adult sexual interactions.
- The adult has “secret” interactions with students such as engaging in games, e-mails, text messages, and calls, and shares “secret” gifts such as drugs, alcohol, or sexual material.
- The adult is overly interested in the sexuality of a student by engaging in conversations about their body and teenage dating.
- The adult spends unusual amounts of uninterrupted isolated time alone with a student.
- The adult seems too available or overindulgent with babysitting for free, taking the student on special outings alone, or buying them gifts, or giving them money for no apparent reason.
- The adult is frequently walking in on the students in the bathroom.
- The adult allows students to consistently get away with inappropriate behaviors.
- The adult’s only friends are minors or very few age-equivalent adult friends.
- The adult’s age-equivalent friends exhibit similar behaviors as listed above.
Here is a list of warning signs that may indicate a student is the victim of sexual abuse:
- The student reports experiencing nightmares or other sleep problems without an explanation
- The student seems distracted or distant at odd times
- The student displays changes in appetite
- The student is exhibiting sudden mood swings such as rage, fear, insecurity, or withdrawal
- The student leaves “clues” that are likely to provoke a discussion about sexual issues
- The student displays new or unusual fear of certain people or places
- The student refuses to talk about a secret shared with an adult or older child.
- The student writes, draws, plays, or dreams of sexual or frightening images.
- The student talks about a new older friend
- The student suddenly has money, toys, or other gifts without reason.
- The student thinks of self or body as repulsive, dirty, or bad.
- The student exhibits new adult-like sexual behaviors, language, and knowledge.
- The student reports physical signs of sexual abuse such as pain, bleeding, discharge, or other physical trauma such as infections or sexually transmitted diseases. Some of the symptoms could be persistent or recurring pain during urination or bowel movements, or
wetting or soiling accidents unrelated to toilet training, or trouble swallowing.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice