Lakeland Police Investigate High School Teacher

<p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">A press conference is scheduled for July 23, 2010, 3:00 PM, at the Lakeland Police Department.&#0160; Sergeant Gary <a href="http://www.insidelakelandpd.com/.a/6a00d8341c896d53ef0133f280648c970b-pi" style="FLOAT: right"><img alt="10_76" border="0" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341c896d53ef0133f280648c970b image-full " src="http://www.insidelakelandpd.com/.a/6a00d8341c896d53ef0133f280648c970b-800wi" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px 5px" title="10_76" /></a> Gross, Supervisor of the Crime Against Children Unit, will be answering questions from the media.</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span></strong>&#0160;</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Lakeland Police began an investigation of a Lakeland High School Teacher in April, 2010, after receiving a complaint from parents of a student that there was inappropriate behavior occurring between the student and teacher, Greg A Madsen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>The parents of the student had become alarmed after intercepting facebook postings between the student and Madsen that appeared to be highly inappropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span>In the exchange between Madsen and the student, there was conversation that was sexual in nature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>In addition, there was conversation of involving words such as “trust” and “love”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>At one point the student tells Madsen, “I love you too much” and Madsen replies, “I love u too buddy”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Madsen had also attempted to arrange a meeting with the student at a public location.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">As this investigation continued, detectives gathered text messages and emails from the student’s cell phone and computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Detectives executed a search warrant at Madsen’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160;</span>residence on April 26, 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Madsen’s cell phone and two computers were seized and later forensically examined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>Madsen had approximately 700 facebook friends, and detectives found facebook chats on Madsen’s computer that were sexual in nature that had occurred with several minors that attended Lakeland High School where Madsen is employed as a teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The information was referred to the State Attorney’s Office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span>On July 7, 2010, Madsen entered into a Pre-Trial Intervention Contract Settlement Agreement where he agreed to surrender his teaching certificate to the State of Florida Department of Education, resign from his position at Lakeland High School, and not work or volunteer in any capacity where he would be in a position of trust involving children whether it be a school, church, club, or any other institution.<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><strong><span style="COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">&#0160;</span></o:p></span></strong></p><strong><span style="FONT-FAMILY: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;,&#39;serif&#39;; COLOR: #000066; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &#39;Times New Roman&#39;; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Media inquiries should be directed to Sergeant Terri Smith, 863.834.6917.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&#0160; </span></span></strong>