Man arrested after day care workers notice bruising on boy

Jerrod Holloway, 31, charged with child abuse

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Staff members of an Orange Park day care noticed a boy appeared to be in discomfort while he was trying to take a nap and, upon lifting his shirt, saw the child was bruised, according to a report from the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

The staff members at the Kreative Kids Learning Center on Kingsley Avenue then called the Department of Children and Families, the report read.

The boy told a DCF investigator, the report said, that he was spanked by Jerrod Holloway, 31, for jumping on a bed. Investigators also spoke to the boy's sibling, who verified his brother's claim. It's unclear exactly where the incident took place.

Holloway was arrested Tuesday on a charge of child abuse, records show.

News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson said this is a case where day care employees knew what to look out for and took appropriate action.

"In this case, the caretaker recognized the child was uncomfortable and they're trained to notice these sort of things and their training kicked in," Jefferson said.

The director of the day care told News4Jax she and her staff were trained by DCF. The agency has an online training program available for child care employees to access. Part of what employees learn is how to recognize and report suspected abuse.

When the employees complete the program, they still have to pass a test to continue working in the child care field.


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