Santa Fe High teacher charged with 6 counts of sexual battery

A 35-year-old Santa Fe High School teacher was taken into custody Tuesday by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, charged with having sex with a student.

Christopher Salamone faces six charges for sexual battery with a victim who is 16 or 17, jail records show.

The Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest late Tuesday on Facebook, saying the department was informed May 29 about sexual contact between a teacher and student.

He was booked in the Alachua County Jail, with bail set at $600,000.

Salamone was the school’s teacher of the year in 2015.

The minor is receiving help from victim’s services counselors, the sheriff’s announcement said.

The arrest warrant and affidavit were not available Tuesday night. Assistant State Attorney Ryan Nagel filed a motion earlier in the day Tuesday to have the records sealed, arguing that their release could impede the investigation, and Circuit Judge William Davis agreed.

Anyone who may have had inappropriate contact with Salamone is asked to contact the sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau at 352-367-4170, Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center at 352-264-6760 or the sheriff’s non-emergency number at 352-955-1818.