Former Manatee County Teacher Charged With Felony Aggravated Stalking of Child

A former fifth-grade teacher in Manatee County has been charged with felony aggravated stalking of a child under 16, more than eight months after allegations against him were publicly raised during a school board meeting.

Jared Williams was arrested on a warrant issued by the State Attorney’s Office and bonded out of the Manatee County Jail on Tuesday. Williams resigned from his teaching position in April shortly after the accusations surfaced.

The allegations were first made public during an April 19 meeting of the Manatee School Board, when a mother accused Williams of grooming her 11-year-old daughter. The parent told board members that on Valentine’s Day, Williams removed her daughter from the rest of the class and spent approximately 45 minutes alone with her in his classroom while other students attended specials in the library.

According to the mother, she later discovered a two-page handwritten letter in her daughter’s bedroom addressed directly to the child. The letter expressed personal affection and referenced the closeness of their relationship. The mother told board members that since the incident, her daughter has suffered emotional distress, including nightmares.

In May, a second parent spoke anonymously to ABC7, alleging Williams bullied her son while he was a student in the class. She described an incident in which her child’s homework was torn up and thrown away after he forgot to write his name on it, forcing him to retrieve and repair the assignment while crying in front of classmates. The parent said the experience deeply affected her son and family.

Despite the severity of the charge, Williams remains free after posting bond. Court records show the case is ongoing, and no trial date has been announced.