Former Jacksonville teacher arrested for lewd molestation pleads guilty to lesser charge

A former music teacher arrested in July 2025 has had his case closed and will not get any prison time.

Gregory Gafford was arrested for lewd and lascivious molestation at the time and according to court records, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge instead.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

That charge was transmission of material harmful to minors. He will register as a sex offender and is on probation for five years.

He also can’t be in contact with children except his daughter.

Action News Jax told you last year when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced Gafford’s arrest.

He had been working at St. Matthew’s Catholic School in 2023 when a child reported that Gafford groped them.

Investigators say another student also accused him of sexual abuse in 2011 when he was a teacher at Normandy Village Elementary.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.