A former Palm Beach County middle school teacher and school district administrator, Miguel Benavente, is now being charged with grave allegations of child sexual battery. According to WPBF, the charges involve sexual assault of victims under the age of 12, a charge that classifies as a capital felony. This follows reports from two individuals who brought forth accusations dating back approximately three decades.
The investigation began to unfold when, in late June, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office received a request for assistance from the School District's Police Department, concerning reports of sexual abuse. Revealing as the accused, the same Benavente, who was reported to have committed these acts during his tenure at Roosevelt Middle School according to court records. Following the alarming developments, the Palm Beach County School District immediately relieved Benavente from his duties, ensuring that he has no current access to campuses or students, in statement obtained by CBS12.
Benavente, who was initially hired in 1991, has worked in various roles within the district over the past three decades. It was during a fearful recollection of these years, one accuser, who is now coming forward, described Benavente as "a monster." According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (PBSO), there's serious concern that additional victims who have not yet been identified might exist, as reported by CBS12.
Delving into specifics, the allegations include instances where the victims, who were then students, were purportedly brought to Benavente's residence under the guise of academic assistance. At this place, the students were exposed to explicit material and sexually assaulted, recollections that have been chillingly consistent throughout the investigation, as affirmed in the PBSO affidavit. These past incidents have resurfaced, despite a prior investigation from 2000 that ended inconclusively due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, as referenced in a separate statement by PBSO and a disturbing memory that was echoed in the PBSO's current statement, urging potential victims to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-8477 (TIPS) to come forward with information.
Currently, Benavente is booked on a single count of sexual battery on a child. Both the school district and PBSO have expressed their resolve to fully cooperate in the investigation, with the district asserting that such alleged misconduct starkly contrasts the "highest ethical standards," and values that the district upholds for all employees.
