High Springs Childcare Worker Arrested For Child Abuse

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ Charlett Denise Wilson, 54, was arrested on Saturday, Dec. 17, and charged with child abuse without great bodily harm, a third-degree felony.

The director of the Deeper Purpose Community Church preschool contacted the High Springs Police Department on Friday afternoon to report an incident that occurred at the school. The incident was reportedly captured on video, and officers reviewed the video.

The video reportedly showed Wilson picking up a three-year-old child and spinning her around in the air before throwing her down on her mat. Wilson also allegedly hit the child in the face “numerous times” with a long hard plastic object.

Wilson was charged in two battery cases in 2002, but adjudication of guilt was withheld.

The bond amount in this case was set at $25,000 and Wilson bonded out of the jail on Sunday, Dec. 18, according to jail records.

Pastor Adam Joy of Deeper Purpose Community Church said that he had called the parents immediately after verifying on video that the teacher had harmed the child. He also immediately asked the teacher to leave the school. Joy added, “I want to make it abundantly clear, that what took place was absolutely unacceptable, will not be tolerated and what happened to the child should never happen to any child.”

Joy said the teacher has been fired and will never be employed there in the future and that a closed meeting will be held for parents the next day.

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