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ABC 7 NEWS - WZVN-HD
Camp director, counselor arrested on
neglect charges
September 12, 2008
By Stephanie Tsoflias
CHARLOTTE COUNTY: A Charlotte
County camp director and counselor are facing child neglect charges.
Deputies say brutal punishment inside the Gator Wilderness Camp
School sent a 15-year-old to the hospital. But the camp director
says no one crossed the line.
Friday, Arthur Dagg, Director of
the Gator Wilderness Camp, stood up for his program that caters to
troubles teens that need to get back on track.
"Parents want a quality program for
their children and that's what we are," he said.
Investigators with the Charlotte
County Sheriff's Office say Dagg and a camp counselor, Carl
Hochstetler, are accused of neglecting a 15-year-old camper.
One report details an alleged
instance of physical punishment on August 2 that sent the boy to the
hospital with bruises to his arms and face.
Reports show the unidentified teen
refused to eat pancakes at lunch. In return, Hochstetler allegedly
demanded for the boy to get on the ground and lie face down while he
sat on him for three hours.
The report also states the boy
started throwing up immediately after the incident and that he was
not taken to the hospital until three days later.
"There's a difference between
obviously corporal punishment and abuse," said Charlotte County
Sergeant Mike Casarella.
In a statement to ABC7, Gator
Wilderness said they are seeking to resolve the alleged situations
and is willingly working with law enforcement and regulating
agencies to bring satisfactory resolutions to all parties involved."
Along with the sheriff's office,
the Department of Children and Families is also investigating.
© 2008 by ABC7 NEWS. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten
or redistributed.
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