Teacher may have molested student nearly 100 times

WFTV:

Hundreds of students and teachers at Endeavour Elementary School in Brevard County are walking on campus Monday for the first time since learning of disturbing allegations against an instructor.

Cocoa police arrested a veteran teacher over the weekend and charged him with molesting a student nearly 100 times.

Daniel Cliatt, 29, is accused of a crime so heinous, for his first appearance deputies dressed him in a bulletproof vest. Wearing the vest with his hands shackled in front of him, Cliatt appeared before a judge for the first time Sunday, when he answered the judge's questions.

Cliatt is accused of raping a 13-year-old repeatedly after school, at school, every day for months.

Cocoa police say the 29-year-old, 360-pound sixth grade teacher started by showing the boy pornography, then moved to sex acts, almost 100 of them. That didn't stop until, police say, another teacher walked into Cliatt's classroom Friday after school.

"At first, she walked in and didn't know what she was seeing. But she ran out and grabbed a supervisor," explained Detective Barbara Matthews, Cocoa Police Department.

Cliatt has been a teacher at Endeavour Elementary School for five years and he's worked there for 10. The school district is already planning a termination hearing.

"We have been very, very cooperative. We've spent a lot of time with the Cocoa Police Department in order to assist them in this investigation," said Sara Stern, Brevard County School District.

Cliatt is a 2000 graduate of Rollins College. He's been at Endeavour Elementary School for 10 years, first as a teacher's assistant, then as a second grade teacher. He most recently taught the sixth grade. Cliatt was in charge of 20 students.

In the news:

More Alleged Victims Call Police After Teacher Arrested

Teacher may have abused other kids, police say