A former Venice High School teacher was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January for having an inappropriate romantic relationship with his biology student.
Jakob Riddick, a former science and biochemistry club teacher, was initially charged with three second-degree felony charges for soliciting sexual conduct with a student as an authority figure.
In addition to 18 months in prison, Riddick was also sentenced to one year of community control followed by three years of probation, according to court records.
Riddick was given 418 days credit for time incarcerated at the county Jail.
Previous Herald-Tribune reporting stated that Riddick had taught the student during the 2022-2023 school year. Detectives learned from the victim that she’d been communicating with Riddick through Spotify, a music streaming account.
The two would secretly meet at a park near her home, where they would talk, listen to music and be sexually active, according to previous reporting.
Riddick resigned from his position with the school in June 2024, according to previous reporting.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Victims Unit was tipped off about the relationship when someone anonymously submitted screenshots from Discord, a social media chat platform, that showed messages from the victim describing her relationship with Riddick.
The victim came to the sheriff’s office for an interview, where she disclosed she and Riddick had been in a romantic relationship for just under a month, according to previous reporting.
She added that she had had a crush on him for several months prior.
“The victim stated that she knew it wasn’t right, but she loves/loved him,” deputies wrote in the arrest report.
Bradenton man pleaded no contest in shooting that injued 13-year-old
A 36-year-old man entered a plea of no contest to charges in a separate, unrelated Manatee County criminal case connected to a shooting that injured a 13-year-old at a Bradenton Funeral home in September 2023.
Sean Phillips was adjudged guilty and sentenced to three years in the Florida Department of Corrections with credit for 772 days jail time served. Each count is to be served concurrently, according to court records.
Phillips was also sentenced to two years of probation, concurrent to each count, and will receive a substance abuse evaluation and will need to complete treatment as deemed appropriate.
Phillips will also be subject to random urinalysis and must forfeit all firearms.
He is also prohibited from contacting the victim, court records state.
Bradenton police arrested Phillips in September 2023, alleging that Phillips opened fire on several people in the parking lot of the Shannon Funeral Home on 14th Street West following a service.
Phillips was hit three times with return gunfire by another person and a 13-year-old girl who lived above the funeral home was also injured.
The man who returned fire did not face any charges. Phillips was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the criminal justice, courts and legal system for the Herald-Tribune. Reach out with a news tip to gszymanowska@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Former Venice High School teacher sentenced in student ‘relationship’ case
Reporting by Gabriela Szymanowska, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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