Krystal Hurd, a former Sanibel camp counselor in Florida, was arrested for sexually abusing many children for years, including two who resided with her and her husband.

 

A former female camp counselor in Florida has been accused of sexually abusing several children over the years, according to authorities.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office alleges that Krystal Hurd, 42, of Punta Gorda, who worked at the Sanibel Recreation Center from 2005 to 2009, sexually molested one boy and three girls between 2008 and 2014.
Former Sanibel Recreation Center counselor targeted youngsters who didn't receive attention from their parents.

Allegations against the former camp counselor included Hurd having sex with a then 12 year old boy going on for many years including one instance where she forced a girl to have sex with the boy while she watched, according to Gulf Coast News.

The interactions with the then 12 year old boy continued until the victim turning 19 according to Lee County officials.

Hurd according to officials told the male victim that the two of them would be together once he was 18 years old, and they would get married.

Appearing in court for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Hurd was ordered held with no bond, WINK News reported.

Her defense had sought Hurd be released on bond emphasizing that she had no issues for the past five years. 

The victims who are all adults now refused to appear in court for fear of retribution.

Former Sanibel counselor confessed to having sex with victims after questioned by husband

Pictured, Krystal Hurd, former Sanibel camp counselor appearing at the Lee County Courthouse, Wednesday morning.

 

Hurd is alleged to have met her victims while serving as a as a counselor at the recreation center where she spent ‘vast amounts of time’ with the children, amongst other places.

All four victims reportedly spent considerable time with Hurd both at the recreation center and outside of it, with two of them living with Hurd and her husband for several years.

‘Krystal took a particular group of children, and would pay special attention to them and provided them with privileges the other children didn’t receive,’ wrote a detective in a report for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

The person ‘believed Krystal focused her time on this group of children because their parents weren’t highly involved in their lives,’ it states.

According to Lee County officials, Hurd is alleged to have confessed to her then husband having had sex with one of the victims after the then 19 year old victim expressed being violated. 

Tamara Verlinde, Hurd’s former mother-in-law, reported the allegations to authorities in 2020. 

‘I truly do believe there are more victims,’ Verlinde told Wink News. ‘It’s something that’s not going to stop.’

Prosecutors had sought to gather and evaluate evidence before eventually filing a case against the former counselor, five years after first being notified of alleged indiscretions.

A warrant was issued for Hurd’s arrest on Oct. 15, 2025, and she was arrested and booked on Oct. 20.

Hurd faces one felony count of familial or custodial sexual battery. If convicted, Hurd could face life in prison.

Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 24.