Brandon Jo Finley, 28, a long-term substitute teacher at Idylwild Elementary, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of stalking an 11-year-old student. The arrest followed an investigation launched by an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy on January 19th, which shed light on a series of disturbing encounters.
The investigation revealed that on January 18, Finley approached the young girl while she was alone at school, telling her that he would be in her neighborhood later and would meet her to give her something when she got home. The girl, understandably terrified, expressed distress as she questioned how Finley knew her address. When she got off the school bus, she was met by Finley in his car, which was parked inside her apartment complex rather than at the bus stop.
Finley handed the 11-year-old a notebook and some candy, which left her “confused and disturbed.” The next day, January 19th, Finley allegedly found the girl alone again and told her to check the back of the book. To her surprise, she found an app-generated phone number with a message directing her to contact him after school.
The deputy’s report described a series of unsettling text messages between Finley and the victim. He urged her to communicate exclusively via text, emphasizing secrecy. Finley allegedly told her to delete messages, save the phone number under a discreet alias, and even dispose of any evidence. His explicit warning included phrases like, “This is not something I’ve done with anyone else. Mfer could get in trouble. Don’t tell ya, mom, anyone at school, nobody. Deal?”
Finley, who has a juvenile conviction from 2004 but no adult criminal record, is now charged with aggravated stalking of a child under the age of 16. During his court appearance, Judge Sheree Lancaster set bail at a substantial $250,000.
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