Former Palm Beach County School District employee Norman Riemer is headed to prison after pleading guilty Thursday to two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition tied to what investigators say he chillingly described as “science experiments” with two 6-year-old children at his Lake Worth Beach home. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge John J. Parnofiello adjudicated him guilty and imposed concurrent five-year prison terms, to be followed by five years of sex-offender probation, with a plea deal that could drop his prison time to 29 months if he self-surrenders on Sept. 14, avoids any new arrests or violations, and receives credit for 141 days already served.
Plea deal and sentence
According to CBS12, Judge Parnofiello adjudicated Riemer guilty on two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition and ordered that he serve two concurrent five-year prison terms, followed by five years of sex-offender probation. The outlet reports that under the plea agreement, Riemer’s prison time can be reduced to 29 months if he self-surrenders on Sept. 14 and has no new arrests or violations, and that he will receive credit for 141 days he has already spent in jail.
Case history and charges
The case began with Riemer’s arrest in April 2025 on five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation. Prosecutors later pared those charges down as the case moved toward a plea agreement, as reported in earlier coverage that described how the school district whiz cuffed story drew attention to his work with students and access to children. That reporting also noted that Riemer had been reassigned to work from home before he resigned from the district days after his arrest.
Victim’s mother addresses court
Before sentencing, the mother of the two children addressed the court and spoke directly about her long relationship with Riemer. She told the judge she had “known the defendant for about 36 years and loved him like a father,” and emphasized that responsibility for what happened rests with the adult, CBS12 reported. She said the incidents took place multiple times and told the court that no sentence could undo the damage to her family.
School district response and Riemer’s role
Riemer spent more than two decades with the School District of Palm Beach County and most recently worked as a science instructional specialist based in the district’s central office, according to reporting by BocaNewsNow. District officials told news outlets he was assigned to the central office rather than a classroom, and he resigned from the district days after his arrest drew public attention.
Legal note
According to the Florida Legislature, lewd or lascivious exhibition under state law includes intentionally exposing one’s genitals or committing a sexual act in the presence of someone under 16 and is prosecuted as a felony. Convictions can carry prison time and typically trigger sex-offender registration and related supervision requirements.
What’s next
Under the plea terms, Riemer is due to self-surrender on Sept. 14. After serving his prison term, whatever length it ultimately is under the deal, he will remain under sex-offender supervision for the five-year probationary period. The case has kept a spotlight on how district employees are vetted and supervised when they work with children, scrutiny that began when his arrest rocked the community last year.
