A former Winter Springs High School teacher has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student in 2023.

LUCAS CRIDLEBAUGH, 27, accepted a plea offer at an April 2 hearing in Seminole County and was adjudicated guilty of:

• Two counts of sexual battery on a child by a person in familial or custodial authority;
• Two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation against a person between the ages of 12 and 16.

CRIDLEBAUGH was designated a sexual predator and had his Florida teacher certificate permanently revoked.

Assistant State Attorney Elena Vazquez secured the conviction. She had prepared evidence for trial included CRIDLEBAUGH’S text messages with the girl and his admission to Seminole County sheriff’s investigators that he “had inappropriate sexual contact with the victim on several occasions on the school campus.”

Seminole County Public Schools administrators cooperated with the sheriff’s investigation and suspended CRIDLEBAUGH immediately upon learning of the allegations.