Private School Teacher Arrested After Sharing Explicit Photos With Students

Lake Wales police have arrested a private school substitute teacher for showing sexually explicit photographs to her elementary students.

Courtesy Lake Wales Police Department

Gayle Wessel, 60, of Babson Park, is facing seven charges after sharing obscene material with six students, and attempting to destroy the evidence when confronted by police.

Park Avenue Private School administrators contacted Lake Wales Police and told them they had terminated substitute teacher Gayle Wessel on November 7, 2024, after students reported that she had shared explicit photos on her phone.

Wessel, 60, Wessel of Babson Park, is now facing six counts of showing obscene material to minors and one count of tampering with evidence.

A police investigation determined that she had shown several of her students sexually explicit photos, and subsequent interviews with the children revealed consistent accounts of the incidents, according to police.

Wessel was located and arrested at a local motel on January 7. When detectives contacted Wessel, they noticed her attempting to delete nude photos from her device.

An analysis of Wessel's phone uncovered hundreds of explicit images and videos, many of which included herself. She admitted to knowingly exposing the students to inappropriate material and acknowledged she tried to destroy the evidence during the initial investigation.

Wessel's criminal history included prior arrests for trespassing, battery, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

Anyone with additional information about this case is urged to contact Detective Raines at the Lake Wales Police Department.