YULEE, Fla. – A Nassau County man was fired from his job as the county’s 911 coordinator following his arrest last week on a felony child abuse charge.
Ernest Ray Eslinger, 50, was released Thursday from the Nassau County jail after posting $25,000 bond, according to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Bill Leeper told News4Jax on Wedneday that Eslinger, who served as the county's liaison with the state over 911 issues, was terminated after the arrest.
The charge stems from an abuse report received at Eslinger’s son’s school Aug. 29, according to his arrest report. The complaint was then brought to the attention of a school resource officer.
During an Aug. 24 argument, the child said, his father “bent him over the couch and hit him” in the legs with a belt repeatedly, according to the report.
The child told investigators the incident, which left him with multiple bruises, was the first time a disciplinary spanking had ever left a mark.
Nassau County court records show a warrant was issued for Eslinger's arrest Sept. 27 and served the same day.