A Harmony High School teacher is under arrest after police say he showed up to meet a girl he believed was 14 years old.
Hayden Anthis, a geometry teacher at Harmony High since 2017, was arrested after detectives with the St. Cloud Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit say he began corresponding in an online forum with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Back in June, detectives say the conversations began. On Thursday, police say Anthis offered to meet for sex — and showed up with condoms.
He met officers instead.
Police Warn Parents:
“He thought he was meeting a 14-year-old girl. Well, guess what? He met the police, and that didn’t go too well for him,” St. Cloud’s police chief said.
Police are urging parents to take an active role in understanding how their children use the internet, warning that online predators often target vulnerable young people through digital platforms.
“Please take an interest. It is so important, especially right now in this digital age, to please take notice of what your children are working on,” the police chief said.
Authorities said predators may begin conversations casually before attempting to build trust, move discussions into private messages, request photos, and eventually arrange in-person meetings.
“Once they’re in these private rooms, they start to have those better conversations, and then they’re sharing photos and then potentially they would ask to meet up somewhere,” the chief said.
Police say protecting children from online predators starts with conversations at home and parents being aware of their children’s online activity.
Anthis remains facing charges as the investigation continues.
Charges
Anthis faces two charges:
- Traveling to Meet a Minor
- Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device
School District Response
Osceola County Schools confirmed Anthis had been employed as a geometry teacher at Harmony High since 2017. The district says he has been banned from all Osceola School District properties effective immediately.
“Our commitment remains on providing a safe, supportive, and secure learning environment for every student,” the district said in a statement.
ICAC Detectives
St. Cloud’s ICAC unit typically assists other law enforcement agencies in building cases against online predators. In this case, detectives say the target was local.
“This behavior is inexcusable,” police said in a statement.