Ocala, Florida, A private school principal has been arrested on suspicion of attacking a student in a classroom for more than an hour, authorities said.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Destiny Leadership Academy Principal Dontay “Donnie” Hakeem Prophet, 33, was arrested on May 11th and charged with aggravated child abuse and unlawful imprisonment of a child under 13. announced that he had been charged with the crime.
On May 10, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the school for a report of a physical dispute between the principal and a student.
According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation included reviewing classroom surveillance footage that showed Prophet blocking a child, identified as a 13-year-old boy, from leaving the classroom. It is said that he was seen on video.
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Dontay Prophet pre-order photo (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
Obtained arrest affidavit FOX 35 Orlando Prophet allegedly hit the victim in the face and side of the head with a computer charger, then picked him up and threw him on the floor.
The deputy reported that surveillance footage began at 11:34 a.m. and showed the victim’s head on a table and Prophet approaching.
During the ordeal, the Prophet was allegedly seen grabbing the boy and restraining him to the ground while choking him. He was also seen using a charging cable to hit the victim, causing him to fall and injuring himself.
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Prophet is accused of twisting the child’s ankle, slapping her in the face and physically abusing her.
By around 12:40 p.m., the boy was able to leave the classroom and a teacher who heard yelling coming from the classroom alerted school administrators.
The teacher looked inside and saw the principal yelling at the boy, slamming him to the ground and preventing him from leaving.
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Dontay Prophet, former principal of Destiny Leadership Academy in Ocala, Florida, was arrested after he was caught on video allegedly physically abusing a student. (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
When responding sheriffs questioned Prophet, he said he was trying to prevent harm to the child, but the sheriff’s office said the evidence told a different story.
Prophet was eventually arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was held without bail.
Destiny Leadership Academy did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
FOX 35 reported that the school fired Prophet.
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According to court records, Prophet was arrested in 2019 on sexual abuse charges stemming from a 2017 incident.
The charges were eventually dropped for “interfering with the custody of a child,” and Mr. Prophet was sentenced to 90 days in jail with probation.
