Former Lake Mary Teacher Richard Colon Sentenced 27 Years for Sexual Battery

Circuit Judge Michael Rudisill on Feb. 16, 2026 sentenced former Lake Mary High School teacher and assistant girls’ soccer coach Richard C. Colon to 326.1 months in prison, roughly 27 years and two months, after Colon was adjudicated guilty of three counts of sexual battery on a child by a person in custodial authority and one count of possession of material depicting sexual conduct by a child. Rudisill also designated Colon a sexual predator and ordered sex-offender registration.

The Office of the State Attorney presented evidence that the relationship began in 2022 while Colon was the student’s teacher and later included sexually charged messages and photos exchanged over Snapchat and text messages. Prosecutors and court filings describe sexually explicit text conversations between July 2024 and September 2024, and evidence that sex acts occurred at Colon’s Sorrento home and in his classroom during a period when the victim did not have class and Colon had no students.

Assistant State Attorney Anna Valentini framed the misconduct around the power imbalance in the classroom, saying, “It wasn’t ‘mutual’ because there was a built-in power dynamic – he was a 56-year-old teacher and coach at her school. We trust our children with teachers. This is the ultimate abuse of that trust in the teaching profession.” Judge Rudisill expanded on the pattern in court, stating, “This was not a one-time thing. This was not a mistake,” and adding, “This developed over a lengthy period of time. There were numerous secret meetings, numerous secret chats. Numerous steps were taken to try to keep this a secret.”

At sentencing Colon read a statement to the court and apologized, telling the judge he made the “biggest mistake” of his life and saying he regretted “giving in and not saying no.” Defense counsel asked the court for a sentence of seven years in state prison followed by sex-offender probation; prosecutors asked the court to follow sentencing guidelines calling for 326 months.

Reporting and court materials show discrepancies in the arrest and plea timeline: ClickOrlando reported Colon was arrested in October 2024 after a principal received a tip, while WESH reported an arrest in November 2024 and said Colon initially pleaded not guilty following that arrest. FOX35 and the State Attorney’s press release state Colon was adjudicated guilty in November; court docket records should be consulted for exact plea dates and arrest dates. News accounts also list Colon’s age variously as 55, 56 and 57, and WESH reported Colon had worked for Seminole County Public Schools for 29 years as an AP World History teacher and assistant girls’ soccer coach before being placed on administrative leave.

During the hearing WESH described Colon appearing in prison blues with ankle cuffs. The Office of the State Attorney provided a press contact for additional information: Matt Reed, Public Information Officer, 18th Judicial Circuit, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Building D, Viera, FL 32940; phone (321) 617-7310; email mreed@sa18.org.