Diplomat Middle School teacher faces additional sex crime charges

Diplomat Middle School teacher Joseph Reynolds, accused of sending explicit pictures to a young girl, was arrested again on Wednesday night and faces five new felony charges.

Reynolds was out of jail on bond since Monday but was rebooked into the Lee County Jail at 8:30 p.m. on the following charges due to an in-depth review of the cell phone conversations between him and the victim:

• Penalties related to reporting of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect
• Obscene communication, use of computer to seduce, solicit, lure child
• Obscenity, prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscene, lewd, etc. materials
• Possessing, controlling, and/or viewing child pornography
• Lewd and lascivious battery (victim 12 to 16 years old).

The state defines that last charge as “engaging in sexual activity with a person” of that age. Reynolds is subject to an enhancement of those statutes under F.S.S. 775.0862, Sexual Offenses Against Students by Authority Figures, as he was working in the capacity of a schoolteacher.

Reynolds faces five charges related to child pornography and obscenity. Cape Coral police say their initial investigation found Reynolds gave his number to a student and they started texting back and forth. Reynolds eventually sent a picture of his genitals to that student.

A school resource officer noticed something was off and spoke to the student, then went to the police, who eventually arrested Reynolds.

“That school resource officer told investigators from our Special Victims Unit that it was possible that this student likely had some type of relationship or possibly had an inappropriate relationship with this male teacher,” said CCPD Spokesman Brandon Sancho. “From there, our officers were able to determine, based on that student’s phone, that an explicit genitalia photo was received [by] the student.”

Sancho says this incident should serve as a reminder for parents.

“Working on the road as a patrol officer, I always tell parents how ‘You pay for that phone, that phone’s yours; you need to be continuously looking through your child’s phone.’ That includes Snapchat, that includes hidden calculator apps, just an assortment of all different things. That’s why it’s extremely important for parents to continuously look through photos, text messages, and all social media accounts on that phone because that phone’s theirs.”

Reynolds is currently in custody at the Lee County Jail. He will be under pre-trial supervision with a GPS monitor. Reynolds is to have no contact with the alleged victim and stay away from all minors while out on pre-trial supervision bond.