High school lunch lady accused of sending sexual pics to student

Pearce allegedly gave her social media information to a student and instructed them to follow her

Ashely Pearce, 39, was arrested in Brevard County, Florida, after she allegedly sent a student at Merritt Island High School sexually explicit images. Pearce was employed as a cafeteria worker at the school at the time of the alleged incident (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office)

A cafeteria worker at a high school in Florida has been accused of sending sexually explicit images to a student.

Ashley Pearce, a 39-year-old cafeteria worker at Merritt Island High School, was arrested by Brevard County Sheriff's deputies on Monday.

The student who received the photos reported the incident to local sheriff's deputies, which kicked off their investigation into Pearce.

She has been charged with transmitting information harmful to a minor by electronic device, according to Florida Today.

In addition to working at the high school cafeteria, Pearce is also an after-school childcare provider at Andersen Elementary School. She has been suspended from both jobs.

Ashely Pearce, 39, was arrested in Brevard County, Florida, after she allegedly sent a student at Merritt Island High School sexually explicit images. Pearce was employed as a cafeteria worker at the school at the time of the alleged incident (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office)

Investigators said Pearce gave her social media information to a student and instructed them to follow her. Once the student did, the two began sending direct messages to each other. The student eventually blocked Pearce after she allegedly sent them an image of her breasts, and reported the interaction to the police.

Pearce was arrested and booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex on a $2,500 bond. Her trial date has not been set.

School officials shared a message with parents on Monday alerting them to the arrest.

“Police have arrested a female food services employee for sending inappropriate photos to a minor male student at Merritt Island High School. Brevard Public Schools is fully cooperating with the Brevard County Sheriff’s (BCSO) in their investigation into this incident," the school said in the statement. "We understand how unsettling this news may be for our community. The safety and well-being of students in our school is always our top priority. This is an active and ongoing police investigation."

Deputies are reportedly still determining if there are any other alleged victims.