CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) – A Charlotte County teacher has been sentenced to seven years in prison followed by 15 years of sex offender probation after pleading guilty in a case involving a student, according to court records.
Heather Marie Mashburn-Smith was arrested April 29 and charged with unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, according to a Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office affidavit. She was accused of violating Florida Statute 794.05. Mashburn-Smith is a teacher and was accused of inappropriate conduct involving a student.
Deputies began investigating after school officials received a report alleging a possible relationship between a staff member and a student, the affidavit states. Investigators then conducted interviews, including a child forensic interview, and later interviewed Mashburn-Smith in a sworn, recorded session.
Punta Gorda Middle School teacher arrested on child sex abuse charges
Mashburn-Smith was arrested at 4:54 p.m. April 29 and transported to the Charlotte County Jail without incident, according to court records.
Mashburn-Smith entered a guilty plea to a charge of sexual assault by a custodian, in violation of Florida Statute 794.011(8)(b), according to a judgment filed in the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court in and for Charlotte County, Florida. The court adjudicated her guilty on Aug. 25, 2026.
The court sentenced Mashburn-Smith to seven years in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections, followed by 15 years of sex offender probation under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, according to the judgment.
Mashburn-Smith was adjudicated a sexual predator under Florida Statute 775.21, court records state.
She was granted 118 days of credit for time already served before the sentence was imposed, according to the judgment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Jennifer M. Garczewski. Mashburn-Smith was represented by defense attorney Scott Weinberg. The judgment was filed Aug. 27, 2026, by Charlotte County Clerk of the Circuit Court Roger D. Eaton.
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