Pasco County Sheriff's OfficeA school secretary from Florida has been arrested for sending a sexually explicit video to a 14-year-old pupil.
Hudson resident Heather Matheison, 25, has been accused of sending a lewd Snapchat video to the underage boy, which reportedly shows her engaging in a solo sex act. She was arrested on Friday, September 27.
Matheison, who works as a secretary at Chasco Middle School, has confessed to sending the clip to the child, and has also admitted to knowing he was just 14 years old. She has since deleted her Snapchat account.
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As reported by the Miami Herald, the boy’s mother complained to authorities after seeing the video in question.
Deputies then reviewed the video, which reportedly shows Matheison masturbating while wearing ‘a shirt but no pants’.
The boy said the clip had been sent to him via Snapchat so it would automatically delete after he had seen it. However, he managed to keep a copy, which he sent to his mother using Facebook Messenger.
Matheison has now been charged with submitting electronic transmission material harmful to minors, having confessed to sending the video after being confronted by officers prior to her arrest.
Pasco County Sheriff's OfficeWriting in the police affidavit, the arresting officer said Matheison ‘knew how old the victim was’ when she sent the video:
She described the video exactly as I had seen it, and she confessed to sending it over Snapchat to the 14-year-old victim.
The arrest affidavit details how a deputy was called to the school and made contact with the child’s mother, who showed them the video in question.
As reported by Bay News 9, Chasco Middle School Principal Brandon Bracciale sent the following message to parents:
This is extremely troubling to all of us as a staff. The minor victim is not a current Chasco Middle student, but that does not make her actions any less despicable.
We put trust in our staff to keep students safe, and when that trust is violated it is shameful. We are not aware of any other victims, but if you or your student have concerns, please notify me or the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
My number one priority is your child’s safety, and neither I nor the Pasco district will tolerate any employee who puts their safety in jeopardy. Thank you.
According to the Miami Herald, Matheison’s current employment status at Port Richey’s Chasco Middle School is as of yet unclear, with a PSCO spokesman explaining school board members will be the ones to decide.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues, and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. If you are a child seeking advice and support call Childline for free on 0800 1111.
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.