CHILD PREDATOR WITH PREVIOUS INCIDENT RECORD FOUND NOT GUILTY
PROPHET DANTE ONE OF HIS MANY ALIASES
By SyndicatedNews at SNN.BZ
UPDATE: Dontay Akeem Prophet, also known by the alias Dontay Akeem Lopez, is a 33-year-old former educator from Ocala, Florida. He served as the principal of Destiny Leadership Academy, a private Christian elementary school (K-5) emphasizing “Christian principles and character-building strategies.” The school is located in Ocala and focuses on academic, social, and spiritual development for young students.
Prophet’s professional history includes roles in Marion County public schools starting in 2009, where he worked as a behavior technician and paraprofessional, primarily with exceptional student education (ESE) students at schools like Shady Hill Elementary, Ward-Highlands Elementary, South Ocala Elementary, and Osceola Middle School. He was placed on administrative leave in February 2019 and resigned shortly after.
Legal History and Arrests
Prophet has faced multiple serious allegations involving children, spanning over a decade. Here’s a chronological summary:
| Date | Incident/Charge | Details | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor under 16 | While working as a camp counselor, Prophet was accused of molesting a child. | Pleaded guilty to a downgraded charge of attempting to interfere with the custody of a child; sentenced to probation. |
| 2019 | Lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor under 16 | As a behavioral specialist at South Ocala Elementary, accused of inviting a student to his home and sexually touching him. | Pleaded guilty to attempting to interfere with child custody; probation imposed, violated in 2023 (case closed without further conviction). |
| October 2024 (alleged incident from ~2013) | Lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12 | An 8-year-old victim reported Prophet molested him at his home, involving pouring syrup on the child’s genitals and thighs and licking it off. Prophet allegedly told the boy not to tell anyone. | Arrested January 14, 2025; charge dropped by State Attorney’s Office in February 2025 due to insufficient evidence for prosecution. Prophet was released from jail on bond. |
| May 11, 2024 | Aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment of a child under 13 | At Destiny Leadership Academy, Prophet allegedly confined a 10-year-old boy in a classroom for over 40 minutes after the child refused to write an essay. Surveillance video showed Prophet poking/grabbing the child, restraining him on the ground, putting him in a chokehold, wrapping his legs around him, slapping his face, striking him with a charging cable, and twisting his ankle. Prophet claimed he was preventing self-harm, but deputies noted the actions escalated into abuse. The child escaped after screaming, alerting a teacher. | Arrested and fired by the school; pleaded not guilty. Bond initially denied, later set at $50,000. Jury trial in July 2025 resulted in a not-guilty verdict for child abuse without great bodily harm, after reviewing video and testimony; defense argued actions were disciplinary. |
Following the 2024 abuse arrest, Prophet was held without bond initially at Marion County Jail. The school terminated him immediately, stating they would “uphold our standards of excellence and nurture an environment where every child can flourish.” Concerns have been raised about his hiring at Destiny Leadership Academy despite prior charges, with parents expressing discomfort and some withdrawing children from related schools.
As of September 26, 2025, no further active cases against Prophet are reported in available records. The not-guilty verdict in the 2024 abuse case appears to have concluded his most recent major legal proceedings.
