A fifth-grade teacher at Ocala Christian Academy is behind bars after police say he used his phone to photograph beneath a student's skirt during recess. Joel Gould, 34, was arrested on suspicion of digital voyeurism, and investigators say they are worried he may not have had just one victim.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, Gould was booked into the Marion County Jail on Oct. 27. The Ocala Police Department said the incident happened during recess last Friday at the school.
Witness Saw the Phone Beneath the Skirt
A witness told police they saw Gould hold his phone underneath a student's skirt while she stood on a picnic table beside him, ClickOrlando reports. The student later reported feeling something touch her leg several times.
Police said Gould admitted to taking photographs underneath the child's skirt, the same report notes. The account does not say whether any images were saved, shared or recovered.
Detectives Worry There Are Others
Detectives are also concerned there may be other victims, according to the station's report. That concern is so far just that, as no additional victims have been confirmed.
Police are asking anyone with information about Gould, or anyone who believes they experienced inappropriate contact involving him, to contact the police department at (352) 369-7000.
What Florida Law Says
The Florida Legislature defines digital voyeurism to include intentionally using an imaging device to secretly view, broadcast or record under or through another person's clothing without that person's knowledge and consent. The statute treats an adult who violates the relevant provision as committing a third-degree felony, while an adult employed at a private school who commits an offense against a student faces a second-degree felony. It also states that each instance of secretly viewing or recording is a separate offense.
Reports differ on how Gould's charge is classified. ClickOrlando says the charge was upgraded to a second-degree felony because of his position of authority over the student, while WESH describes it as upgraded from a second-degree to a third-degree felony because of that same authority. The final charge filed in court has not been verified, and no school or attorney statement was available.
