HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL. – A former teacher and coach is facing charges for two separate cases in which he had inappropriate physical contact with students.
A victim, who was a student and football player at Bloomingdale High School, located at 1700 E Bloomingdale Avenue in Valrico, came forward to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on April 6, 2022, saying from 2017 through 2021, Matthew Hike, 33, who was his football coach, molested him more than 50 times.
The victim was under the age of 18 at the time of the incidents. Hike worked as a football coach for the high school but was not employed as a teacher.
Detectives learned of the incidents through a previous investigation involving Hike where other victims were asked to come forward.
On March 23, 2022, administrators at Livingstone Academy, located at 1204 Lenna Ave in Seffner, contacted HCSO after the grandmother of a juvenile student reported her grandchild had been inappropriately touched by Hike, who was employed as a teacher at the academy.
Detectives learned that Hike had shown several pornographic images to the victim and touched him inappropriately on five occasions.
Hike was arrested on March 24, 2022, and charged with five counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation and three counts of Sell or Distribute Obscene Material to a Minor.
After bonding out of jail on March 24, Hike was arrested again on April 6, 2022, for the most recent allegations. He is now facing additional charges including three counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation and one count of Authority Figure Soliciting or Engaging in Lewd Conduct with a Student.
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