A teacher’s aide was approached by a high school student who shared that she was the victim of an alleged rape, and he is facing charges for failing to report the information to the proper authorities.
A girl attending Ridgewood High School in Pasco County, Florida, purportedly suffered a sexual assault and confided in one of the teacher’s aides about the attack.
She later shared the details of the happening with a school resource deputy, and a formal investigation of her claim was opened.
During the course of their exploration into the girl’s declaration authorities discovered that she had already discussed the event with 30-year-old Romell Brockett, the aforementioned teacher’s aide, but he had not come forward with the information.
Florida state law dictates that school teachers or other school officials or personnel are a part of the group of professions where the practitioners are considered “mandatory reporters.” Should “reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected,” arise they are required to report the incident to the proper authorities.
Officials spoke with Brockett on Wednesday to inquire about his purported awareness of the assault, and to ask him why he did not choose to honor his legal responsibility as a mandatory reporter. Brockett allegedly stated that the girl did, in fact, confide in him about the rape, but she asked that he keep the information to himself and not report it, so he chose to respect her wishes.
Brockett was taken into custody by the Pasco County Sheriff’s office and he is facing charges for failure to report child abuse by a mandated reporter.
As of February 27, Brockett is still listed as an employee on the Ridgewood High School website.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.