Coach accused of luring teen to locker room for community service hours and making sexual comments

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) -- A high school football coach faces charges after allegedly making inappropriate sexual comments to teens, including to one victim he lured into a locker room under the guise of community service.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, on April 2, a parent reported "inappropriate conversations" Tyler Eden reportedly had with their daughter when she met with Eden for community service hours. Upon further investigation, detectives learned Eden allegedly asked a 16-year-old student to help him sort football helmets in the locker room.

Authorities allege Eden talked to the student about a “teacher who wanted to have sex with him in the locker room,” and the victim said she "didn’t want to talk about that." According to the sheriff’s office, the victim told officials Eden continued the conversation anyway and said he was married but "still wanted to engage in sexual activity with the teacher."

The student reportedly helped perform community service tasks again the following day. Authorities allege that while she was breaking down boxes, the zipper on her hoodie broke, but all she had on was a bra underneath. The student reportedly asked Eden for a T-shirt to cover up. Eden allegedly reached out and completely unzipped her jacket, and the student said she felt uncomfortable.

Eden tried to help fix the zipper and eventually gave the victim a shirt, so she went into a different locker area to change. Sheriff Grady Judd alleges Eden watched her and commented on how "pretty" her bra was. Eden allegedly kept saying there were no cameras in the locker room. Investigators said Eden told the student not to report the interaction, but she later told her parents and school staff about the incident.

According to the sheriff’s office, Eden told school administrators that he "only provided the student with a shirt." When school staff said they were going to place him on administrative leave, Eden allegedly admitted that he tried to fix the student’s zipper at her request.

Detective discovered there were two other alleged victims, both female students. One of them reportedly said that Eden "told her there were no cameras in the locker rooms and how it would be 'easy to do certain things in there.'" Eden also allegedly made comments to the victim about his popularity and how another teacher wanted to engage in sexual activity with him in the locker room.

The third victim reportedly told authorities Eden asked her what she wanted to do after graduation, and she said she wanted to become a gynecologist. Eden allegedly said that he would make a good gynecologist "because he liked to perform oral sex on women." When Eden asked her if she wanted to earn community service hours, she turned him down.

In a press conference, Judd said investigators believe there are other victims out there, and the sheriff suspects Eden "wanted to have sex with these children." He added, "This guy is a total creep, and now he’s going to jail. We are not going to tolerate school teachers and coaches preying on our children."

Eden was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of lewd offense against a student by an authority figure, lewd and lascivious touching of a minor, and voyeurism.

Eden reportedly started working at Bartow High School in 2019 and has been the school’s head football coach since 2023.

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