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Police: Teacher Had Sex With Teen Outside Wal-Mart, Under Bridge

Posted: 4:44 pm EDT October 22, 2008Updated: 12:30 pm EDT October 23, 2008

A former Volusia County teacher was out of jail Thursday and facing charges of having a lengthy sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student.


TEACHER IN CUFFS: See Images | Watch Raw Video
VIDEO REPORT: Teacher Arrested For Allegedly Having Sex With Teen

Last week, the teacher at Warner Christian Academy resigned amid the accusations. She was arrested Wednesday.

South Daytona police confirmed to Eyewitness News that they are back on the case and there may have been sexual incidents in the school, possibly at the teacher's home and said it has been happening since last school year.

Warner Christian students told police they had seen text messages on the boy's phone from someone named "Madeline." "We have to be careful," one said. Another read, "No one can find out" and "keep quiet."

Cynthia Horvath was quiet and expressionless as Port Orange police put the Christian school teacher into the back of a car to take her to jail. The cheerleading coach is accused of carrying on an affair since last spring with a 17-year-old student, though she wouldn't admit it to Eyewitness News at her door last week.

TEACHER IN CUFFS:
Images | Raw Video

"How far did your relationship go?" she was asked.

"I'm sorry, I can't talk," she said.

And police said she won't tell them anything either.

"She has not made any admissions to the police department," Capt. Frank Surmaczewicz told Eyewitness News.

But the Warner Christian student she was sleeping with did fill police in. He said they would go places in her car and what started as kissing turned into sex.

"In parking lots. The alleged locations have been Wal-Mart, Publix," Surmaczewicz said.

The student said they also met under the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange and in hotels in Daytona Beach.

Police said it was obvious the boy cares for Horvath, but his parents were clear about pressing charges.

"They are definitely concerned about what happened and obviously they would like to make sure this doesn't happen to any other students again," Surmaczewicz said.

Police reports say most of the senior class at Warner Christian knew there was something going on and it was finally students who told a staff member about the affair and the school told police.

Port Orange police may have had a chance to stop the affair though last month. While in a Wal-Mart parking lot, having sex, the pair was interrupted by a Port Orange police officer who even took their IDs. But the police report makes no mention of why Horvath wasn't charged then. Officials at the Port Orange Police Department told Eyewitness News that incident with that officer is being reviewed.

Horvath is married and has a 17-year-old son who attends Warner Christian. The felony charges against her could put her in prison for 15 years.

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