EL PORTAL, Fla. – A Miami-Dade County public school teacher was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges after authorities said he had an “inappropriate relationship” with a 12-year-old girl.
According to his arrest report, Martai Delvon McCullough, 26, is a teacher at Horace Mann Middle School in El Portal.
Miami-Dade Schools Police said they began their investigation on June 30 after the victim’s father discovered the two had been in contact.
According to the arrest report, the victim and McCullough began exchanging Post-it notes just before last Christmas, with messages like “I love you.”
Police said the teacher would also buy the victim lunch through Uber Eats and DoorDash, and she would skip class to go to his classroom during his planning period.
The victim told police they would initially just “hug each other” inside his classroom, but said they eventually began kissing on the mouth and he would grope her buttocks while hugging, according to the arrest report.
Police said McCullough communicated with the student via Instagram and bought her a bracelet for her birthday.
According to authorities, he also solicited the victim for photos of her feet and showed her his penis during a video chat on Instagram, which the victim took screenshots of.
Police said they also discovered disturbing messages between the two in which the teacher told the victim, “I bet your legs and thighs taste like caramel” and “I just want to suck your toes and lick your ankles all the way up to your thighs.”
McCullough was taken into custody on Tuesday.
According to his arrest report, he provided a “full confession” to detectives.
He now faces multiple charges, including offenses against students by authority figures, lewd and lascivious molestation on a child between 12-16, lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under 16, lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child under 16 and unlawful use of a communications device.
The school district released the following statement Wednesday on McCullough’s arrest: “Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual. Upon learning about this suspected behavior, Miami-Dade Schools Police immediately began their investigation and subsequently made an arrest. This type of comportment will not be tolerated as it runs contrary to the professional conduct we expect from all employees. The District has initiated employment termination proceedings, and will ensure the individual is precluded from seeking future employment with the District.”
McCullough has since bonded out of jail.
No one came to the door when when Local 10 News went by his listed address in Miramar.
Community activist Tangela Sears said McCollough grew up in the church, and that his father was a pastor until recently at a church on Northwest 68th Terrace in Miami.
“He comes from a great family,” said Sears. “But this is just an example that we have to be careful everywhere we go.”