Florida principal arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment

The principal of an elementary school in Ocala, Florida has been arrested after being caught on camera assaulting a student. Dontay Akeem Prophet, 33, was subsequently charged with aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of a victim under the age of 13.

According to WCJB, the incident took place on Friday at Destiny Leadership Academy, a private school in the northern area of town. That day, Prophet allegedly locked a male student in a classroom before abusing him. Footage showed the principal allegedly take the boy to the ground before pinning him down as he thrashes about.

According to police, footage allegedly caught him "using a charging cable to strike the child, causing the child to fall and sustain injuries." 

"Additionally," the force added, "Prophet twisted the child’s ankle, slapped the child in the face, and subjected him to further physical abuse." It wasn't until law enforcement caught up with Prophet on Saturday that he found out that there was a security camera in the room.

"It caught everything on camera," the officer told him. "Everything; especially when you had his head down and you came up and started grabbing him on the legs and poking him … when he wasn't talking at all."

When asked why he had approached a student who had his head down, Prophet claimed he was simply "trying to get his attention," because "he said he was gonna hurt someone."

The officer went on to ask him whether he believed he was allowed to touch a student without their permission, he said it was fine so long as nobody got hurt. Prophet was transported to Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

This is not the first time Prophet has been arrested for conduct involving children. In 2019, while working as a behavior specialist in the Marion County Public Schools system, he was charged with lewd and lascivious behavior for allegedly inviting a student to his home and touching him inappropriately.

He eventually admitted to also touching another student inappropriately and was placed on administrative leave, but resigned a short time later.