POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A 31-year-old teacher and head football coach at Bartow High School was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on April 16, 2025, following a criminal investigation into reports of inappropriate conduct toward female students.
Tyler Eden faces charges, including Lewd Offense against a Student by an Authority Figure (F2), Lewd and Lascivious Touching of a Minor (F3), and Voyeurism (M1), after a series of disturbing interactions with students came to light.
The investigation began on April 2, 2025, when a parent reported inappropriate conversations between Eden and their daughter, a student who had met with him to earn community service hours through extracurricular work. Detectives interviewed students and a school administrator, uncovering a pattern of predatory behavior.
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According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Eden offered a female student the chance to earn community service hours by assisting with athletic chores, such as sorting football helmets in the locker room. During this first interaction, Eden initiated a conversation about a teacher who allegedly wanted to have sex with him in the locker room. The student expressed discomfort, telling Eden she didn’t want to discuss such topics, but he continued, admitting he was married yet still interested in the affair.
The following day, the same student returned to complete more community service hours, this time helping Eden break down boxes. While working, her hoodie jacket—her only top—got caught on a box, breaking the zipper.
She asked Eden for a T-shirt to cover herself, as she was only wearing a bra underneath. Instead of immediately providing one, Eden reached out and unzipped her jacket fully, exposing her further.
The student told him she was uncomfortable, and though Eden eventually handed her a T-shirt, the situation escalated. She stepped into a separate locker room area to change, only to find Eden standing behind her, watching. He complimented her bra and repeatedly assured her there were no cameras in the area.
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Feeling unsafe, the student voiced her discomfort again, and Eden pleaded with her not to report the incident. That evening, she confided in her parents, who reported it to school administrators the next day.
When confronted by administrators, Eden initially claimed he only provided the student with a shirt. However, as he was informed of his placement on administrative leave, he admitted to attempting to fix her zipper at her request—a claim contradicted by the student’s account.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd didn’t mince words: “Not only is this highly inappropriate behavior by a teacher, imagine just how frightened this student was. Here was the head football coach who was already discussing lewd behavior, unzipping her clothes, then following her into a locker room where he remarked there are no cameras, and complimenting her undergarments. This guy is a total creep, and now he’s going to jail. We are not going to tolerate anyone—especially school teachers and coaches—preying on our children.”
Further interviews with two other female students revealed additional troubling behavior.
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One student reported that Eden told her there were no cameras in the locker rooms, suggesting it would be “easy to do certain things in there,” and bragged about another teacher wanting to have sex with him.
Another student shared that when she mentioned her aspiration to become an obstetrician/gynecologist, Eden responded with crude, graphic remarks about his preference for performing oral sex, then asked if she wanted to earn community service hours—an offer she declined.
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid condemned Eden’s actions, stating, “It’s unconscionable that an educator and coach would engage in this kind of behavior with students. This individual has shown that he cannot be trusted, and deserves to face justice for his actions. We commend the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation, and for taking action to protect students.” Eden has been placed on administrative leave, and inquiries regarding his employment status have been directed to Polk County Public Schools.
Tyler Eden was booked into the Polk County Jail and is scheduled for a first appearance hearing on April 17, 2025. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with additional information to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
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