Revelation of child sexual abuse during therapy leads to arrest of former Miami charter school teacher

MIAMI – A woman revealed during therapy that her social studies teacher groomed and sexually assaulted her while she was a high school student at a Miami charter school, police say.

The revelation of the abuse when the victim was 15 or 16 years old prompted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to send a tip to the Miami Police Department on April 21.

Detectives reported that Michael A. Tamayo taught social studies from 2012 to 2017 at Mater Academy East Charter School in Little Havana, Miami.

A Miami detective spoke to the former Mater Academy East Charter School student on April 23. According to Detective Frances Flores' statement seeking an arrest warrant for Tamayo, the victim said Tamayo “started touching her inappropriately when they went to Italy on a school trip.” and “the touching continued when he returned to Miami.”

Tamayo's former student said he befriended her at school before he began texting and manipulating her with stories about suicidal ideation, alcoholism and Drunk Driving.

Tamayo, who has a checkered past, faces charges for alleged sex crimes about 14 years after leaving the Miami charter school. According to Flores, he had previously been accused of child sexual abuse in Miami.

According to Florida Department of Education records, Tamayo was reprimanded by the state agency in 2017 and placed on probation for two years after a drunken driving accident involving a Florida Highway Patrol trooper on April 10, 2016.

When Flores requested the warrant earlier this year, his last known address was Falls Church, Virginia. Prosecutors filed charges against him on May 7, and Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Christine Hernandez signed the warrant.

Tamayo was arrested May 23 in Virginia and his extradition took place Thursday, according to a statement made by his defense during his first court appearance Friday afternoon before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer .

The prosecution asked the judge for pretrial detention and Glazer granted the request and Tamayo to stay away from the victim after the defense claimed he was willing to move to Miami-Dade with his parents.

According to Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Services records, corrections officers held Tamayo Saturday afternoon without bail at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center since he was booked Thursday evening.

Tamayo faces two counts of sexual assault by a person in a position of custodial authority, lewd or lascivious assault of a minor between the ages of 12 and 16, and attempted sexual assault by a person in custody. position of custody authority.

Court records show Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Laura Cruz is expected to preside over Tamayo's criminal case and his arraignment hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday.

Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editors Joyce Grace Ortega and Frine Gomez contributed to this report.

Video of court appearance