Teacher Accused Of Molesting Multiple Elementary School Students

BRADENTON, FL — A former teacher was arrested Wednesday after being accused of molesting students, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Richard Silberman, 72, was charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and two counts of battery.

The investigation into Silverman began on April 4 when deputies were contacted after several children at Team Success, the public charter school in Bradenton where he taught, reported he “had touched them on a leg or shoulder in ways that made them feel uncomfortable,” the sheriff’s office said.

While interviewing a student, deputies learned that Silberman “placed his hand on a 10-year-old’s clothing in their genital region,” the agency said. The student also claimed that he had made similar advances in the past.

After learning of these allegations, Team Success relieved Silberman of his duties as a teacher and told him not to return to work.

During a two-week investigation, detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Section gathered statements from other students who disclosed similar situations where they felt Silberman had been inappropriate, the sheriff’s office said.

Silverman, who was booked into the Manatee County Jail, denied the accusations.