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Home › Politics

Politics | 10/23/2008 10:50 am

Christian Schoolteacher Arrested for Allegedly Engaging in Sex With a Student

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
Cynthia Horvath
Cynthia Horvath/Courtesy of Port Orange Police

A 45-year-old former teacher at a private Christian academy in Florida was arrested Wednesday for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a 17-year-old male student.

Classmates told police about text messages they saw on the boy’s phone. The messages were from someone named "Madeline." Reportedly, they read: "We have to be careful," "No one can find out" and "Keep quiet." wowOwow confirmed with Port Orange Police Capt. Frank Surmaczewicz that the messages were between "the two parties in question."

Weeks before Cynthia Horvath’s arrest, faculty members at Warner Christian Academy in South Daytona, FL, overheard rumors of a relationship between a male student and an English teacher. The rumors were then confirmed with the boy’s father, a report stated. Amid speculation, Horvath resigned 11 days ago, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Investigators believe that Horvath and the student had sexual relations some 20 times over a four-month period that began in June. They reportedly met in various locations and cities. Horvath was first arrested Wednesday morning by Port Orange authorities. Later that day, similar charges were filed by Daytona Beach police. Police said the two engaged in sexual activities in a car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and a Publix parking lot, under a bridge and in hotels in various locations. The pair was even caught by a Port Orange officer once while in a Wal-Mart parking lot, Capt. Surmaczewicz told wOw. The officer reportedly took their IDs but made no mention in his police report why he didn’t charge Horvath then.

Horvath is married with two children. Her 17-year-old son attends Warner Christian — a school with scheduled prayer times for the faculty, students and their families. Horvath could face up to 15 years in prison, WFTV reports. She posted her $10,000 bail.

Read more about: Career, crime, Culture, Cynthia Horvath, Dating, News, Parenting, Sex, Teacher

12 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Belinda Joy
I just don’t understand this……being with a guy so much younger than myself would make me feel all that much older in comparison. I just don’t understand this….Young men are great to look at but I wouldn’t want to date one, let alone have sex with one.
By Belinda Joy on 10/23/2008 11:15 am
OMGIAMGOING NUTS
This is just SICK sick sick sick. These adults that engage in behavior like this with children are literally SICK. I would not even give them another chance. Prison for Life.
By OMGIAMGOING NUTS on 10/23/2008 11:32 am
Sandbee (FB) 54
She has a son the same age. If this were a man that police officer would have done something about it when he caught them in the Walmart parking lot. I’m disgusted with how many women are being discovered doing this sort of behavior. And since I am for equal rights for women I am also for equal punsihment when they do the crimes.
By Sandbee (FB) 54 on 10/23/2008 12:08 pm
Tear E
Ewww as a mother with 2 sons one almost 20 the other 14 stories like this mystify me. How can this woman have sex with a boy her sons age? And it was just about sex, you can’t tell me they love each other. How did she justify that this was ok? They both knew it was wrong, other wise they wouldn’t have been trying to hard to hide it.
By Tear E on 10/23/2008 12:32 pm
f p
Shows me one thing: that teaching in a Christian school has no effect on some adults’ behaviour. How can she have sex with a 17 yr old—easy—he’s at the peak of his sexuality and where sex is concerned nothing gets in the way of people having it—now shall we talk about cougars and their cubs??
By f p on 10/23/2008 2:25 pm
Marjorie Sunderman
I am always amazed at the squawking and bitching that goes on when a woman has sex with a younger man, but old men have been doing the exact same thing for all eternity. When I was in highschool a whole flock of old billy goats cruised the girls leaving after school trying to pick up a young one. No one ever even noticed that and yet it happened every day after school. Now that I am older and have a man friend who is 20 years my junior, just a friend nothing more, old men glare at me whenever we go somewhere together, as if I were stealing little boys and corrupting their morals. I can only assume that these old men failed to pick up a high school girl and now they are mad because they think I was able to pick up a boy.
By Marjorie Sunderman on 10/23/2008 3:05 pm
Lucinda Herbert
Rest assured that had this been a 45 year old married male teacher with children and a 17 year old female student, the community would be disgusted and appalled, the police officer would have arrested the adult, who would have been locked away for an eternity and that would be the end of the story. I might add, however, that I know a middle-aged French couple with 3 daughters, who have been together since she was 15 and he 20. As another friend of mine said, “Only the French would think that it was perfectly natural for a 15 year old girl to date a 20 year old boy. In this country, somebody would have made every effort to separate them or accused him of statutory rape.”
By Lucinda Herbert on 10/23/2008 4:57 pm
Lucinda Herbert
Rest assured that had this been a 45 year old married male teacher with children and a 17 year old female student, the community would be disgusted and appalled, the police officer would have arrested the adult, who would have been locked away for an eternity and that would be the end of the story. I might add, however, that I know a middle-aged French couple with 3 daughters, who have been together since she was 15 and he 20. As another friend of mine said, “Only the French would think that it was perfectly natural for a 15 year old girl to date a 20 year old boy. In this country, somebody would have made every effort to separate them or accused him of statutory rape.”
By Lucinda Herbert on 10/23/2008 4:57 pm
starry Nite
David Letterman and Jay Leno keep wondering where these teachers were when they were in high school. It seems there has been an epidemic. Maybe its the danger or thrill seeking. Usually the women are very attractive so they could easily attract men. Remember Lolita- I don’t think its right but I don’t feel so bad if the guy is at least 17 and mature for his age. . I’ve heard stories about older teen age boys for years doing the Mrs. Robinson bit. Beats me it seems that I saw on one of these boards a pysch . Maybe they will chime in.
By starry Nite on 10/23/2008 11:35 pm
kermie b
I find it telling that the teacher’s photograph is large in context with the storyline, as if her appearance just explains everything. Sure, she is a great looking woman. But she is still a woman who knows her limits, even while acting on them. Be truthful, if she were unattractive, would we find this story interesting?
By kermie b on 10/24/2008 12:54 am
starry Nite
Kermie, You might be right - Maybe ugly women don’t get caught because people are less likely to suspect them. Attractive people who are murdered or kidnapped get more press that ugly people.
By starry Nite on 10/24/2008 4:43 pm
Jeanne Tillman
First of all she’s married, secondly, she has a son the same age as her lover. Does she not have any morals? Teaching at Christian school but not acting in a Christian way.
By Jeanne Tillman on 02/12/2009 3:18 pm