Former music teacher arrested for inappropriate behavior toward a student

VALRICO, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has arrested a former music teacher at a Christian elementary school for inappropriate behavior toward a student that resulted in her becoming pregnant.

On July 3, detectives were notified of a case of sexual assault 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 behaving inappropriately toward the then 16-year-old victim in 2022.

The victim told investigators during an interview that she had sexual relations with Proctor both on and off campus between 2022 and 2024, which led to her pregnancy.

According to officials, Proctor resigned from the school in December 2023. After Proctor’s departure, the school reported rumors of the allegations to the Department of Children and Families.

On July 10, a warrant was issued for Proctor’s arrest and he was arrested without incident.

Proctor is charged with five counts of sexual assault (by a person with familial or custodial authority and an authority figure over a student) and one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor (by an authority figure over a student).

Anyone with information about this case or who believes they may have been a victim of Proctor is asked to call the HCSO at 813-247-8200.