Former band teacher at Miami-Dade charter school accused of having sexual relationship with teen student
A former band teacher at a southwest Miami-Dade charter school has been arrested after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Heihachiro Nakashima, 33, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with three counts of engaging in lewd or lascivious activity by an authority figure stemming from the investigation.
The investigation, led by Detective Jesus Llanes of CBS News Miami, determined the alleged incidents occurred between March and June at Nakashima's apartment near Dadeland Mall. The Sheriff's Office was alerted to the situation by a family member of the victim.
During a court appearance, Judge Mindy Glazer ordered Nakashima to stay away from the victim, set bond at $45,000, and mandated that he be placed under house arrest with a GPS monitor. He was also ordered to surrender his passport.
According to the arrest report, Nakashima taught at Palm Glades Preparatory Academy High School, located at 22655 S.W. 112th Ave.
Llanes stated that the relationship began at the school where Nakashima served as the victim's teacher. "He groomed the victim by purchasing numerous items for her and made her believe they were in love, and he would provide an authority figure over her," Llanes said. The report noted that Nakashima offered the victim tickets to his musical performances.
In response to the incident, Llanes urged community members to remain vigilant regarding their children's possessions and online activity. "Our concern in the community is to speak to your children and ask them if they come home with numerous items," Llanes said. "We are concerned if they are coming home with those items, and they don't have a job, how they are getting them if they can not purchase them. Also, go through their phones and check their social media."
Law enforcement is encouraging anyone with information regarding Nakashima or who may have had similar interactions with him to contact authorities.
During the court hearing, Nakashima's attorney argued that the suspect was not a flight risk or a danger to the community, noting that he had no prior criminal history and had surrendered himself to Detective Llanes.
According to court documents, Nakashima's next court appearance will be on September 11, 2026, at 9a.m. for his arraignment.
His attorney submitted a not guilty plea on his client's behalf and will be waiving his appearance for his arraignment on September 11, 2026.
CBS News Miami reached out to the charter school for comment, but school officials declined to provide a statement.