Former Wewa teacher arrested for sex with student
A former Wewahitchka High School welding teacher was arrested Thursday on felony charges related to a sexual relationship he had with a female student at the school.
Deputies with the Gulf County County Sheriff’s Office arrested Parker Eugene Harris Ottoson, 34, without incident on a warrant for three felony charges, said Chief Deputy Chris Buchanan.
He was booked into the Gulf County Detention Facility and is awaiting first appearance on charges of lewd or lascivious battery on a victim between age 12 and 16; lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim between age 12 and 16 by offender age 18 or older; and an authority figure soliciting lewd conduct with student.
“The investigation is ongoing. At this time, it is unknown if there will be additional charges,” said Buchanan.
Superintendent Jim Norton said that Ottoson, who had been hired Jan. 21, was 77 days into his 90-day probationary period when he was let go.
When a hire is still within the probationary period, the district can terminate his or her employment without citing a reason. Norton declined further comment, and asked that all questions be directed to the appropriate state or local law enforcement agencies.
Buchanan said Norton’s decision was relayed to the sheriff’s office on May 5 about a possible sexual relationship between Ottoson and a student.
The sheriff’s investigation then opened an investigation. During a forensic interview, conducted by the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center’s Child Protection Team, the student disclosed that sexual activity occurred with Ottoson, Buchanan said.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.