Lakeland Teacher Accused Of Touching 2 Students Inappropriately: Cops

LAKELAND, FL — A Crossroads Christian School teacher, dean and basketball coach in Lakeland faces a charge of lewd/lascivious molestation of a minor after deputies accused him of masturbating on a video chat after a student had answered their phone, a Polk County Sheriff's Office news release said.

Derek Stribling, 39, refused to speak to detectives when they arrested him Thursday at about 10:52 p.m. at his Lakeland home.

Stribling Faces The Below Charges, According To Deputies

• Lewd/lascivious conduct
• Offenses against students by an authority figure
• Transmit material harmful to a minor
• Lewd/lascivious molestation of a minor

Two female students accused Stribling of trying to get them to have sex with him on separate occasions, deputies said.

The first student who was 14 in 2020 told authorities she had Stribling as her basketball coach that year.

Stribling was accused by the victim of asking her to meet him in the gymnasium's equipment closet. Authorities said they found out during the investigation that Stribling was accused of kissing the victim and touching her inappropriately. Following the incident, the victim told detectives he called her twice on video chat and she accused him of showing himself masturbating.

Stribling is accused of trying multiple times to get the victim to have oral sex with him.

The second victim, who is older than 18, told authorities Stribling asked her for her phone number on Feb. 14 so he could check on her following an argument she had with her father, deputies said.

At about the same time, Stribling told the victim she had a D in his class, and he offered her a chance to get extra credit. As Stribling spoke to the student via the FaceTime app, the student accused him of showing his private area while he masturbated.

Deputies were told by the student during the investigation that Stribling tried to get her to meet him in a hotel parking lot for oral sex.

"For a 39-year old married deviant to do this to two teens is horrible as it is, but when you add in that he's a teacher doing this to his students---it infuriates me.," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Most teachers do everything they can to protect their students, but this guy was the complete opposite. He preyed on them for his own sick desires, and he should never be allowed to be near children again."