1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: Crime Alart hourly update breaking crime news Now, I'm Sidney Sumner. 2 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Two Southern teachers of the Year are now facing crimes 3 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: related to children. An Alabama elementary school teacher was arrested 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 1: this week and charged with willful abuse of a child 5 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: under eighteen after a video went viral showing her allegedly 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: beating a boy with a belt more than twenty times. 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: Cottage Chill Christian Academy said the boy was Nicole Staples's son, 8 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: and the incident took place at her home. In the video, 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: the woman identified as Staples yell's obscenities at the child 10 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: and beats him for not finishing his chores. She's also 11 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:37,840 Speaker 1: seen slamming the boy to the ground by his hair 12 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: and jerking him back up again. The viral videos described 13 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: as very disturbing and hard to watch. The school said 14 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: it placed Staples, forty four, on administrative leave when it 15 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: learned about the allegations, and fired her when she was arrested. 16 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: School administrator Chris Brizel said, quote, Cottage Chill Christian Academy 17 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: prioritizes the well being of children above all else. We 18 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: will always act promptly, transparently, and responsibly when matters arise 19 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: that may impact the safety or integrity of our school community. 20 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: The school said it was cooperating with state and local 21 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: officials as they continue their investigation. Staples was a second 22 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: grade teacher at the school and named co Teacher of 23 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: the Year in May. Staples is to appear in court 24 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: for a bond hearing in the coming days. A former 25 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: South Carolina teacher who sent over sixty love letters to 26 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: a student he stocked has pleaded guilty to harassment. Twenty 27 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: seven year old Dylan Robert Dukes admitted in court Wednesday 28 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: he contacted the victim after she left Star Elementary School 29 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: in Anderson County. After realizing she would no longer attend 30 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: the school, he joined her church. Dukes also engaged in 31 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: a string of obsessive behavior, including writing the love letters, 32 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: presenting the student with gifts and unwanted hucks, beginning all 33 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: the way back in twenty twenty three. In July twenty 34 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: twenty four, the victim's mother stated that her daughter became 35 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: uncomfortable as Dukes began showing up at functions he should 36 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: not have been at the saute. My child has had 37 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,639 Speaker 1: to endure moments of uncomfortability in places like church, school, 38 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: and sports, where my child should be comfortable and able 39 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: to enjoy being a child. Investigators said Duke's behavior had 40 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: been leading toward criminal sexual conduct. A news released by 41 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: the Sheriff's office stated detectives were able to stop the 42 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: harassment in Stoking before it became anything physical, which the 43 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: juvenile was in fear of. According to the Anderson County 44 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: Sheriff's Office, investigators searched Duke's classroom and found photos of 45 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: the child which were not sexual in nature. Police then 46 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: arrested Dukes and charged him with stocking. During wednesday's plea hearing, 47 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:40,520 Speaker 1: Duke's pleaded guilty to first degree harassment. A judge sentenced 48 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: him to three years behind bars, which was suspended to 49 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: five years of probation. He's also required to surrender his 50 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 1: teaching certificate and undergo mental health counseling. The judge also 51 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: approved a permanent restraining order which prohibits any contact with 52 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: the victim. Star Elementary named Duke's teacher of the Year 53 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: for the twenty twenty three to twenty twenty four schools. 54 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: More crime and justice news after this, A Florida man 55 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: is behind bars for murdering a woman who allegedly flew 56 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: from the United Kingdom to be killed. Sonia Exelby was 57 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: reportedly experiencing mental health issues when she met Dwayne Hall 58 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: fifty three, on a fetish site where she sought someone 59 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: to abuse her. Exelby flew from the United Kingdom to 60 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Florida a week before her body was found in a 61 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: shallow grave out of Marian Oak's home on October seventeenth. 62 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: Alarms were raised before Exelby's body was discovered because she 63 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: failed to board a flight back home. On October thirteenth. 64 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: Fingerprints were taken from the body to confirm it was Exelby. 65 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,360 Speaker 1: An autopsy concluded Exelby was fatally stabbed four times with 66 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: a knife. Hall was recorded in jail calls telling his 67 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: wife to keep an eye out for a package from 68 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: an Ohio friend in six months. This led to the 69 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: discovery of Facebook messages that Hall allegedly sent from jail 70 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: to the friend, who lives in Ohio. Authorities eventually obtained 71 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: the package, which reportedly contained a knife stained with Exelby's blood. 72 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: Investigator said the Facebook messages Hall sent to the friend 73 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: showed that Hall was controlling her, that she was afraid 74 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: and had made a mistake. Surveillance footage allegedly showed Hall 75 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: purchasing a shovel, which was later recovered from his home. 76 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: The shovel not only contained his in Exelby's DNA, but 77 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: a label for a shovel was found in the shallow grave. 78 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: The label matched the brand of shovel Hall was seen 79 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: purchasing in the surveillance footage. While Hall initially denied knowing Exelby, 80 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: records indicated that his business build expenses on Exelby's bank card. Additionally, 81 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,720 Speaker 1: license plate readers confirmed Hall's vehicle picked up Exelby from 82 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: the Gainesville Airport on October tenth. According to investigators, bank 83 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: records and surveillance footage also established that Hall bought a 84 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: shovel right before picking up Exelby from the airport. Eventually, 85 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 1: Hall allegedly confessed to meeting Exelby on a fetish site 86 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: two years earlier. He claimed that he was acting as 87 00:04:56,200 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: a mentor to Exelby and was trying to convince her 88 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: not to kill herself. He reportedly also admitted to having 89 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: sex with Xelby at an airbnb. Hall also stated that 90 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: he had some violent tendencies. Investigators recovered a video Hall 91 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: deleted which showed Hall asking Xelby, covered in bruises, why 92 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: she was there. X'lby responded, because I'm an awful person. 93 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: I've crushed everyone whoever loves me. X'lby allegedly sent this 94 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: message to a friend on discord on October eleventh. He 95 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,720 Speaker 1: made it clear there was no way out unless I 96 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: shoot him. I was questioning it last night. I thought 97 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: he'd do it quick and not give my mind time 98 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: to stew. Authorities in the United Kingdom said Xelby looked 99 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: for someone to kill her last year, but she was 100 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: stopped and underwent treatment. Hall was charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, 101 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: credit card fraud, and unlawful use of a communication device. 102 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: A judge denied him bond earlier this week. For the 103 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,799 Speaker 1: latest crime and justice breaking news, be sure to follow 104 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app 105 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: with this crime Alert. I'm Sidney Sumner.