Florida substitute teacher accused of child molestation

An 83-year-old substitute teacher was arrested after he was accused of molesting students at a Florida elementary school, officials said. 

The disturbing incident took place at Hernando Elementary School, where Wolfgang Sprenger, 83, had been teaching since October.

Staff alerted the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office to the abuse, Fox13 News reported. 

The Citrus County School Board immediately removed Sprenger from his role as a substitute teacher as the sheriff’s office began its investigation, according to Bay News 9.

Detectives spoke with children who said Sprenger molested them, as well as youths who claimed they saw the inappropriate activity, according to the reports.

Sprenger was arrested March 9 and charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child less than 12, four counts of lewd and lascivious conduct, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.

He is being held at Citrus County Detention Facility without bond. 

“This case exposes how a predator can and will work themselves into a position of trust to gain access to children,” said Sheriff Prendergast. “Sprenger violated the trust of the children he was supposed to teach and the trust our community placed in him.

“A classroom is supposed to be a nurturing and safe environment, not a playground for a predator like Sprenger,” Prendergast added.