Florida high school football coach arrested for lewd acts with female students: ‘Total Creep,’ sheriff says

Content warning: This article describes child sexual abuse. Please take care while reading.

The Bartow High School community in Bartow, Florida, is stunned after their married head football coach, Tyler Eden, 31, was arrested on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Eden was arrested after the Polk County Sheriff’s Office looked into multiple reports of inappropriate conduct with female students. 

The charges against the coach vary from lewd and lascivious touching, voyeurism, and making lewd remarks to minors who were under his authority. The investigation started on April 2, 2025, when a parent reported to the police a disturbing conversation their daughter had with Coach Eden. 

The student, who assisted Eden in the athletic department as community service hours, was allegedly the target of unwelcome remarks of a sexual nature. The complaint prompted detectives to investigate, uncovering additional allegations by at least two other female students.

“This guy is a total creep”

COACH ARRESTED: Polk Sheriff Grady Judd said Bartow head football coach Tyler Eden is facing charges of lewd behavior against a female student after incidents in the football locker room. Details: https://t.co/L49PLIeizA pic.twitter.com/lJuyTTEDux

— Spectrum Bay News 9 (@BN9) April 18, 2025

Addressing the media at a press conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd expressed his outrage and detailed the disturbing nature of the accusations.

Judd said, “Not only is this highly inappropriate behavior by a teacher, imagine just how frightened this student was. Here was a male teacher who was already discussing lewd behavior, unzipping her clothes, then following her into a locker room where he remarked there are no cameras, and complimenting her undergarments. 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.”

The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation also revealed a pattern of abuse. Eden allegedly engaged in lewd and lascivious touching of at least one other student, and is suspected of voyeurism with several female students. The specifics have not been disclosed to protect the victims’ privacy and preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Sheriff Judd indicated the evidence collected thus far is substantial and disturbing.

Eden has been arrested on multiple felony counts, including Lewd Offense on a Student by an Authority Figure and Lewd and Lascivious Touching of a Minor. He is additionally charged with the misdemeanor of Voyeurism. Following his arrest, Eden was booked into the Polk County Jail and made his initial appearance before a judge later in the day.

Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd released a statement on behalf of the district that they were disappointed and shocked by the allegations.

Byrd said, “It’s unconscionable that an educator and coach would engage in this kind of behavior with students. This individual has shown that he cannot be trusted, and deserves to face justice for his actions. We commend the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their thorough investigation, and for taking action to protect students.” 

According to Tampa Bay’s Fox 13, Bartow students and parents have struggled to cope with the news of Eden’s arrest, and many are expressing anger and feelings of betrayal. The football program’s future is now up in the air. The school administration indicated that they will implement steps to ensure continued supervision and support of the student-athletes and coaches’ assistants.