Gulf Breeze Teacher Arrested Over Lesbian Affair with 17-Year-Old Student

A Gulf Breeze High School teacher accused of having a romantic relationship with a student was arrested.

Molly Mersereau, 36, faces several charges, including a sex offense of an authoritative figure and solicitating or engaging a relationship with a student.

Mersereau was Investigated After Law Enforcement Received a Crime Stoppers Tip

According to the arrest report, the victim, a 17-year-old female student, was seen riding in Mersereau’s vehicle during school trips, spending time in the vehicle before class, among other behaviors deemed inappropriate.

The report also details love letters the pair sent to each other for months. Santa Rosa County Chief Deputy Randy Tifft says the investigation stemmed from a
Crime Stoppers tip.

The Gulf Breeze Police Department received the initial complaint, which came from a person who is personal friends with Mersereau, who said the teacher “told her directly that she was having sex with one of” the students, according to the report.

During her interview on July 14, the student denied having a relationship with Mersereau, saying the notes were about an ex-girlfriend she had her freshman year of high school.

Mersereau Tried Contacting the Victim Via a Burner Phone After Their Devices Were Seized, She Even Provided the Victim with an iPad

Tifft says deputies also interviewed another minor who knew about the relationship. Deputies found evidence at the victim’s home, then found additional evidence at the teacher’s home, leading to Mersereau’s arrest.

Tifft says their investigation determined nothing inappropriate happened at the school. An additional charge of using a two-way device to commit a felony was added after Tift says deputies seized electronic devices. He says Mersereau continued to attempt to communicate with the victim through a burner phone.

“Even while she knew the investigation was going on, she got another cell phone to get to the minor so that they can still communicate and try to circumvent this investigation,” he said.

“This phone that the minor used was given over by the teacher. The parents didn’t do it. They also found an iPad that the teacher had given that we don’t know what we got that we are assuming it’s from the teacher, but parents need to really monitor their children’s activities on social media on their phones and check their areas for additional phones because these phones that you can buy they’re very popular and they have no tracking by the parents because they don’t know they have them.”

“This digital evidence included text messages and group notes shared or exchanged by Molly and (the student) which were of an intimate nature, text messages exhibiting grooming speech from Molly directed toward (the student), photographs of Molly and (the student) on outings outside of the school, and text messages exchanged between Molly, (the student) and (another student) about evading further encroachments by this criminal investigation,” the report said.

In court on Wednesday, the judge set Mersereau’s bond totaling $30,000 with conditions of wearing a passive GPS and not having any contact with the victim. Mersereau’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 21.