Lake Wales Police Press Release .
On November 7, 2024, Park Avenue Private School administrators contacted Lake Wales Police and told them they had terminated substitute teacher Gayle Wessel for showing sexually explicit photographs to her elementary students.
Police launched an investigation and determined 60 year-old Wessel of Babson Park showed several of her students sexually explicit photos that were on her phone. Subsequent interviews with the children revealed consistent accounts of the incidentsand an analysis of Wessel’s phone uncovered hundreds of explicit images and videos, many of which included herself. When detectives contacted Wessel, they noticed her attempting to delete nude photos from her device.
On January 7, 2025, Wessel was located and arrested at a local motel. She admitted to knowingly exposing the students to inappropriate material and acknowledged she tried to destroy the evidence during the initial investigation. She was charged with six counts of showing obscene material to minors and one count of tampering with evidence.
Wessel’s criminal history included prior arrests for trespassing, battery, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.
The Lake Wales Police Department remains committed to protecting the children of our community and holding individuals accountable that endanger their safety.
Anyone with additional information about this case is urged to contact Detective Raines at the Lake Wales Police Department.
