Former Hillsborough teacher arrested on charges of child sexual abuse of student

A former teacher at a Hillsborough Christian school has been arrested on charges of child sexual abuse involving a student.

Denzel Proctor, 26, was arrested Wednesday on five counts of sexual battery by an authority figure and one count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Proctor, a former music teacher at Grace Christian School in Valrico, began an “inappropriate relationship” with a 16-year-old student in 2022, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

On July 3, detectives were notified of a sexual battery by an authority figure involving a pregnant 18-year-old woman. The woman told detectives that she “engaged in a sexual relationship with Proctor both on and off campus between 2022 and 2024, which resulted in her becoming pregnant,” the news release states.

After Proctor resigned in December 2023, the school reported rumors of the relationship to the Department of Children and Families, according to the sheriff’s office.

“This man preyed upon a vulnerable teenager, violating the trust of our community,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the news release. “Such betrayal is especially devastating when it comes from someone expected to serve as a mentor.”

Records show Proctor was being held at the Falkenburg Road Jail without bond. Prosecutors have filed a motion seeking to have him held without bond while his case is pending. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Monday morning.

The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information can call 813-247-8200.