The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) has arrested a former music teacher at a K-12 Christian school for having inappropriate behavior with a student, which resulted in her becoming pregnant.
Detectives were informed on July 3 of a sexual battery by an authority figure involving a confidential pregnant 18-year-old victim.
Authorities said 26-year-old Denzel Proctor, a former music teacher at Grace Christian School, began inappropriate behavior in 2022 with the victim, who was 16 years old at the time.
The victim told detectives during an interview that she had engaged in sexual behavior with Proctor both on and off campus between 2022 and 2024, resulting in her pregnancy.
Officials said Proctor resigned from the school in December 2023. Following Proctor's departure, the school reported rumors of the allegations to the Department of Children and Families.
An arrest warrant was issued for Proctor on July 10, and he was arrested without incident.
Proctor is facing five counts of sexual battery (by a person of familial or custodial authority and an authority figure over a student) and one count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor (by an authority figure over a student).
Grace Christian School released the following statement shortly after Proctor's arrest.
Grace Christian School has been educating kids in the Brandon area for better than fifty years. We are deeply saddened to hear of this conduct by a former staff member.
Grace Christian School has a strict policy to report all cases of suspected abuse immediately. Mr. Proctor resigned abruptly in late December of 2023. The suspicion of abuse was reported by the school administrator on December 26, 2023. The student denied the alleged abuse then and for the remainder of the school year.
Grace Christian School
Anyone with information on this case, or if someone believes they may have been a victim of Proctor, please call HCSO at 813-247-8200.
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