FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Fort Lauderdale teacher arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor is proclaiming his innocence of the charge.
Sixty-four-year-old Patrick Fox O’dea taught at St. Thomas Aquinas High School where the incident allegedly occurred with a student between the ages of 12 and 16 years old.
He was arrested Monday and held on a $50,000 bond. He was ordered not to have any contact with the victim or other minors.
O’dea bonded out of jail and spoke with 7News, Tuesday night.
“As God is my witness, I did nothing wrong. I’m 100 percent innocent of this charge,” said O’dea after he was released. “I did nothing wrong. I am saying I am innocent. I’ve done nothing wrong. I am as innocent as the first day I started teaching at St. Thomas Aquinas. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
O’dea said he plans to fight the charges and accuses his own accuser of lying.
“I knew the allegation was out there. This didn’t hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I knew she had made the accusation,” he said. “I was shocked. I suppose that that’s part of the process. I thought there would be a court, that I’d be summoned, but I didn’t expect them to come and actually arrest me.”
O’dea maintains that he is the victim.
“This is in a classroom of students. It was at 1:40 p.m., with 25 students present. Would I, if I had any evil intent, attempt anything like that with so many witnesses? I’d be crazy to do that,” he said.
According to the police report, the incident occurred in September when O’dea allegedly grabbed the 15-year-old victim while she was speaking to another student and held her before rubbing and touching her breast outside of her clothing without permission.
Student Sophia Talpos said she was in the classroom when the alleged incident happened but didn’t actually witness what was stated in the arrest report.
“I saw him put his arm around her,” said Talpos. “I just texted her the day after like, ‘Are you OK? Are you coming back to school?’ And she just said, ‘No.'”
Students at the school reacted in shock to the accusations.
“Yeah, he was nice to everyone,” said Natasha Glock. “I’m really surprised. I never expected something like this to happen.”
“I’m still not sure what exactly happened,” added John Canfield.
The Archdiocese of Miami responded to the incident after the teen and her father came forward with the allegation, stating, “The archdiocese and the school immediately responded placing Mr. O’dea on administrative leave. Police were notified and they followed through with their investigation. The outcome is what you see in the news today.”
The school’s principal sent an email on Tuesday to inform parents that read in part, “… law enforcement was notified, and Mr. O’dea was immediately placed on administrative leave.”
7News asked O’dea if he plans on trying to get his job back, but he said he’s not sure yet and just wants to clear his name.
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