Overview

• Crimes Against Children detectives charged Malik Belvin, 26, with lewd and lascivious conduct after multiple interviews, and deputies arrested him Tuesday evening.
• Investigators say Belvin pulled a 10-year-old girl into a classroom closet during school hours and made an inappropriate request.
• Reports from several students following the regular teacher’s return led the principal to investigate, during which the victim disclosed the alleged incident.
• The School District of Manatee County barred Belvin from all campuses, notified staffing agency ESS, removed him from classrooms, and says it is reviewing its background-screening processes while offering counseling support.
• A criminal affidavit shows Belvin was arrested in June in Cocoa on misdemeanor charges of trespassing on school property and resisting, and the district says he worked in multiple schools for 10 days, including Abel Elementary and Sudd Middle School, before his termination and arrest.