Miami-Dade teacher sent explicit photos, money to a middle school student, police say
A middle school teacher in Miami-Dade County was arrested after police say he sent money and explicit photos of himself to one of his students.
Mauricio Alexander Ruiz, 29, was charged with offenses against students by an authority figure. The math teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, 525 NW 147th St., has since been released from county jail on a $7,500 bond, court records show.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is “deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations” made against Ruiz, Gabrielle Acosta, a spokesperson with the school district, told the Miami Herald in an email Monday afternoon.
“Conduct such as the one the employee is accused of will not be tolerated,” Acosta said. “As such, his employment with the District has been terminated and the individual is precluded from seeking future employment with Miami-Dade County Public Schools.”
The district didn’t say how long he had been working at the school. His attorney information wasn’t available Monday afternoon.
According to Ruiz’s arrest report, a Miami-Dade Schools resource officer alerted Miami-Dade police on Dec. 4 after students said a teacher at the school had a “relationship” with one of their classmates.
Police said Ruiz first used the Instagram account “raikou.py” to send the student a private message when she was in 6th grade in September 2021. At the time, the student told police, she didn’t know he was a teacher at the school. It later escalated to FaceTime video calls, explicit photos — and at least one Cash App transfer.
They FaceTimed at night while she was in her room, police said. On occasion, cops say Ruiz asked to see her outside her home. He also told her that he loved her in addition to sending the middle schooler lewd photos of himself. On top of that, Ruiz sent her $50 via Cash App in exchange for “her pictures,” according to investigators.
When Ruiz replaced her math teacher, he would ask the young girl to sit in the back of the classroom so he could tutor her — which police say he used a ploy to touch her inappropriately.
On Dec. 8, police arrested Ruiz at the school, escorted him outside in handcuffs, and took him to Miami-Dade school police headquarters for questioning.
His arraignment is set for Jan. 8.
