A Miami-Dade County middle school teacher has been arrested and charged with offenses against a student by an authority figure after allegedly paying for explicit photos from a 13-year-old girl, authorities said. Mauricio Alexander Ruiz, 29, was taken into custody last Friday at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, the institution where he is currently listed as an employee. This shocking revelation surfaced when students at South Miami Middle School reported to a school resource officer that a peer had been in a "relationship" with Ruiz, according to Local 10 News.
Investigations by Miami-Dade Schools Police revealed that Ruiz had initially contacted the student via Instagram in 2021, and their communication swiftly evolved to include video calls and the exchange of explicit photos. The teacher is alleged to have sent $50 to the student through Cash App as payment for the illicit images. Despite his actions, Ruiz has managed to bond out of jail since his arrest.
The situation escalates further with the victim's account of how Ruiz, replacing her math teacher at West Miami Middle School, encouraged her to sit at the back of the class for "tutoring" sessions. In a disconcerting turn of events, it was during these times that he was reported to have placed his hand on her inner thigh, NBC Miami disclosed based on the arrest report. Meanwhile, the school district vows zero tolerance for such conduct, stating, "Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual," and confirming that Ruiz's employment has been terminated.
