Teen accuses Osceola County School Board member of forcibly kissing her, giving her alcohol

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Osceola County School board member Julius Melendez is accused of providing alcohol to a teen and forcibly kissing her.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they received a complaint from the school district where an 18-year-old girl alleged “inappropriate conduct” by 45-year-old Julius Melendez.

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The teen is not a student in Osceola County Schools.

We now have a copy of the complaint the teen sent to the school district on July 1.

The teen accusing Melendez only spoke to Channel 9′s Ashlyn Webb.

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Julius Melendez was her manager at a café in Kissimmee. She says she was having a tough time with family, and Melendez offered for her to stay at his house.

Before they went to Melendez’s home, she says they stopped at the café where he poured her drinks. She said one drink turned to nine and her trying to get as far away as possible from him.

“I thought it was a little weird. But you know, he told me prior to this, that he looked at me like I was his own. I believe that would mean like one of his own children,” she said.

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She said that’s what was going through her mind as she said Melendez first poured her and him three mimosas each at the café.

She said they were there for about 20 minutes before they locked up the café and began driving to his house.

She said the car ride was uncomfortable. He spoke about being a school board member and how he was often on the news. Then, she said, he started talking about her.

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“He did start calling me beautiful in the car,” she said.

When they got to Melendez’s home, she said she set down her bags while Melendez fixed more drinks.

“We probably had about six drinks at his house and wine glasses,” she said.

She states in the complaint Melendez repeatedly offered to fix her more drinks throughout the night. She tells Channel 9 he sat close to her, touching her arms, shoulders, and then, her thigh.

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“He had asked if he could kiss me, and I told him no,” she said. “He apologized for asking to kiss me.”

She said she told him she was going to bed in the guest bedroom. Melendez carried her bags into the room.

“He leaned in, and he kissed me,” she said.

“And then what did you do?” Channel 9 asked.

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“I told him like, ‘no, like, I already told you, you know, like, I need to go to sleep. I’m tired.’ And he ended up leaving the room and going downstairs to his room,” she said.

She said the bedroom door wouldn’t lock, and she was afraid to go to sleep.

“I was scared to leave my room,” she said.

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She says hours later, she snuck out of the home and took an Uber home.

She tells Channel 9 she thought Melendez was in his early 30s. It wasn’t until she spoke to investigators that she learned he’s 45.

“It made me really disgusted… like he’s older than my dad,” she said.

She told Channel 9′s Ashlyn Webb she wanted to share her story so other girls could gain the confidence to speak up if this happened to them.

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The teen says she does plan to move forward with charges against Melendez. The Sheriff’s Office said they’ve passed this case on to the State Attorney’s office for review.

So far, Melendez has not been charged.

State Attorney Monique Worrell’s office said in an emailed statement Thursday that the case is still open and under review to determine what charges would be appropriate. No arrest has been made.

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Channel 9 did speak to Julius Melendez by phone Thursday morning before airing the story. He declined to comment.

Channel 9 confirmed Melendez no longer works at the café in Kissimmee he previously managed.

The school board declined to comment saying it’s an open investigation.

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