Miami-Dade teacher was subject of open district investigation, remained in classroom until arrest

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Local 10 News has learned that a Miami Beach teacher was the subject of an open school district police investigation for months but remained in the classroom until his arrest on child pornography and other felony charges Wednesday.

Paul Urquiza, 32, a math teacher at Miami Beach Senior High School, is accused of sharing pornography with a 16-year-old girl in the United Kingdom and sending her sexually explicit messages and inappropriate images.

The Miami-Dade school district police investigation dates back months and involves allegations that Urquiza made inappropriate comments to students, Local 10 has learned.

Students had mixed reactions to the news of Urquiza’s arrest Thursday.

“It caught me off guard,” student Liam Castro said. “I didn’t expect him to be doing that type of stuff.”

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While Castro expressed surprise, a student, who identified herself only as “Leah”, said she wasn’t surprised about the allegations.

“We found on Twitter where he was saying weird stuff,” she said.

Local 10 News reached out to the Miami-Dade school district multiple times Thursday. The district said its investigation remains open.

“For the charged individual to be working as a high school teacher, with the potential of victimizing the very students he is entrusted to educate, terrifies every parent and worries every member of the law enforcement community and every school administrator at every level,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in a statement Thursday.