FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A summer camp associate director has been arrested and charged with molesting one of his campers.
Fort Lauderdale Police arrested 35-year-old Christopher Falzone on Monday. Falzone was the associate camp director for Camp Live Oak.
According to police, the victim’s mother discovered Falzone was talking to her 10-year-old daughter on the phone. When the mother confronted him over the phone, she asked Falzone if he ever touched her daughter.
The mother said Falzone began to cry and responded yes.
Investigators later interviewed the victim, who told them Falzone touched her inappropriately about 15 times when the camp would go to the beach and while on the bus.
Detectives also found Facebook messages between Falzone and the victim which match up to her claims.
Falzone was interviewed by police, and they said he admitted to communicating with the victim on Facebook and whispering, “I love you” in her ear. However, he claimed he did not remember touching her.
The executive director of Camp Live Oak released a statement to 7News:
“We are cooperating with local authorities to advance the investigation of an alleged incident involving inappropriate misconduct, and while we cannot speak directly to ongoing investigations, we will provide an update on authorities’ final determinations as they become available.”
According to an arrest affidavit, the Facebook messages spanned from July 13 through August 3, when the allegations came to light.
It also said Falzone apologized to the girl for the way the day ended.
“I can’t tell you everything, but to avoid further problems, I was told to stay away. You did nothing wrong and neither did I,” it read.
Falzone is also a third-grade teacher at Renaissance Charter School at Cooper City. The school has released a statement in response to the allegations which reads in part, “We have been made aware of allegations and the arrest of one of our teachers regarding activities that occurred over the summer at a summer camp. Our highest priority is the safety and security of our students and the employee is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation. ”
“It’s very shocking to me because, I would never expect for him to do anything like that,” said Alyssa Santiago, a student of Falzone’s. “He was just a nice guy. He was very supportive, like I said, and he’s just not the type of guy to do anything like that.”
Santiago described his behavior as friendly around campus.
“I would always see him in the hallways. We would always high five,” she said.
Falzone has been charged with lewd and lascivious behavior by a person over the age of 18.
He is being held on a $25,000 bond.
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