Former Florida principal accused of child abuse enters plea of 'not guilty'
OCALA, Fla. - The former principal accused of assaulting a student on classroom surveillance video says he didn't do it.
Court documents show Dontay Prophet entered a written plea of not guilty Tuesday.
Prophet is accused of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment.
A surveillance video released by the Marion County Sheriff's Office appears to show Prophet forcefully restraining the child as they try to break free.
Investigators say during the alleged 40-minute encounter, Prophet also put the child in a chokehold, hit the child with a charging cable, twisted the child's ankle, and slapped him.
We don't know the child's age, but the school website lists it as a private Christian school serving Kindergarten through 5th-grade children.
During Tuesday's hearing, a judge set Prophet's bond at $25,000 for each charge. Prophet is not allowed to return to school, have contact with the alleged victim, or work in a capacity where he is over children.
"It's just devastating that someone who has a previous history with law enforcement, dealing with students, had the ability to put his hands on another child, said Valerie Strong, Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Back in 2019, Prophet faced another felony charge involving a minor.
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Court records show he was accused of lewd, lascivious molestation of a child and an attempt to commit interfering with child custody.
According to the State Attorney's Office of the 5th Judicial Circuit, Prophet did not enter a plea to the molestation charge and entered a plea of no contest for the custody charge. In a plea agreement with the state, the molestation charge was dropped, and Prophet was put on probation for the custody charge.
He was accused of violating probation in 2023.
Destiny Leadership Academy declined multiple interview requests with Fox 35 and declined to give more details about how Prophet got the job as principal.
In digging into his employment history, we learned he was employed with the Marion County Public School System.
The district confirmed Prophet worked there from 2009 to 2019 as a behavior technician and paraprofessional in classrooms with students with special needs. During his 10-year stint, he worked at Shady Hill Elementary, Ward-Highlands Elementary, Osceola Middle School, and most recently, South Ocala Elementary.
When asked about any infractions during his time there, the district confirmed Prophet was placed on paid administrative leave in February 2019 because of the sex crime charge and investigation.
The district says he resigned shortly and has not been employed there since.
Prophet was appointed an attorney on Tuesday and is expected back in court on June 11.
