OAN’s Abril Elfi
6:08 PM – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
A school principal was arrested on May 11th after choking and whipping a young student with a belt. He also slapped the child in the face, which was all recorded on a surveillance video.
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He continued to physically assault and hold the student against his will for more than an hour in a classroom.
Soon after, authorities from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a phone call regarding a “physical disturbance between a student and the principal.”
The school principal was then placed under arrest on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of a child under the age of thirteen, according to the police.
The principal, Dontay Akeem Prophet, 33, worked at Destiny Leadership Academy, a private school in Ocala, Florida. Five years ago, he was also reportedly arrested for sexually abusing another child. It is unclear how Prophet was able to obtain his position at the school with his previous arrest.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office released a statement detailing the altercation.
“During the investigation, surveillance footage from the classroom was obtained, revealing Prophet preventing the child from leaving the room for over 40 minutes,” authorities said. “Surveillance footage captured him grabbing the victim, restraining him on the ground, and employing a chokehold. Prophet can be seen on camera using a charging cable to strike the child, causing the child to fall and sustain injuries. Additionally, Prophet twisted the child’s ankle, slapped the child in the face, and subjected him to further physical abuse.”
When Prophet was questioned by a responding deputy, he told the officer that he had been attempting to prevent the child from harm, a claim that the police say in the release is contradicted by the video evidence.
Police also said that after speaking with Prophet, he was “taken into custody to the Marion County Jail,” where he is currently being held without bond.
Authorities withheld the child’s identity, including his age and condition. An investigation is still underway to determine what initially prompted the incident.
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