Marion County PE teacher accused of molesting 8-year-old student at elementary school

A Summerfield man is facing a child molestation charge after investigators said he inappropriately touched a then 8-year-old student at a Marion County elementary school.According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the abuse happened between 2014 and 2017 when Jeffery Farris, 53, was a physical education teacher at Saddlewood Elementary School in Ocala.A female victim disclosed to a therapist that Farris had sexually assaulted her when she was 8 years old. The victim said Farris had “groomed” her by repeatedly selecting her for tasks and grabbing her hips in front of classmates before the alleged assault took place in a gym equipment closet, an arrest affidavit states. During the investigation, deputies discovered a separate incident from 2017, when Farris was a wrestling coach at West Port High School. Farris was suspended without pay and removed as wrestling coach after admitting he shared a hotel room with a female student during a tournament in New Port Richey.Farris has since