Miami-Dade deputies accuse band teacher of having sexual relationship with student

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A “former band teacher” is facing three felony charges after Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies said he had sexual encounters with a student at his apartment in the Kendall area.

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Deputies arrested Heihachiro Nakashima, 33, on three counts of lewd and lascivious battery after he self-surrendered on Tuesday. According to MDSO, Nakashima worked at Palm Glades Preparatory Academy, a charter school located at 22655 SW 112th Ave. in the county’s unincorporated Princeton area.

According to the MDSO warrant, the relationship with the 15-year-old girl escalated to sexual encounters after starting as text messages in which Nakashima “assumed a parental role” ― “frequently” telling the victim “he loved her,” which she interpreted as being “platonic” and coming from a “father figure.”

Those encounters happened at Nakashima’s apartment near the Dadeland Mall and Nakashima, at one point, expressed a desire to have a “boyfriend-girlfriend” relationship with the teenager, deputies said.

Appearing in court on Wednesday, Miami-Dade judge Mindy Glazer set a $15,000 bond for Nakashima. His attorney had argued that his client had no prior criminal history and was not a flight risk.

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He’ll also be subject to house arrest with GPS and Glazer ordered him to stay away from the accuser.

In a letter to families referencing “recent news reports” about Nakashima’s arrest, Palm Glades administrators said in part:

Deputies asked anyone with information about the case to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

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