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Cocoa, FL – On June 20, 2024, the Cocoa Police Department responded to a concerning incident involving Devane Nicholi Lonard Clarke, the newly appointed Assistant Principal at Cambridge Elementary School. Clarke, who was recently reclassified from his teaching position to Assistant Principal effective August 2, 2024, has been arrested on charges of inappropriate communication with a minor, a former student. He’s also the President of the Palm Bay West Little League.

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The investigation was initiated following a tip from the Palm Bay Police Department, who reported that Clarke had engaged in inappropriate and explicit communication with the minor. Clarke had reportedly shown nude and semi-nude images of the juvenile on an Apple Watch to officers at the Palm Bay Police Department, which included explicit text messages and photographs of the victim in compromising positions.

Officers from the Cocoa Police Department were dispatched to Cambridge Elementary School, where Clarke was currently employed. Upon their arrival, Clarke cooperated with the officers, surrendering his cell phone for inspection. Clarke was then escorted to the Cocoa Police Department for further questioning.

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During a post-Miranda interview, Clarke admitted to communicating with the minor, who was a former student of his at Cambridge Elementary School, through messaging apps such as Messenger and Snapchat. Officers discovered over 11,000 deleted text messages between Clarke and the victim, which included explicit and provocative content. Clarke confessed to having an inappropriate relationship with the minor, acknowledging the explicit nature of their communications and the photographs exchanged.

As a result, Clarke has been charged with several serious offenses, including:

– Contributing to the delinquency of a minor: Engaging the victim in explicit conversations and encouraging the transmission of explicit photographs.
– Prohibited computer usage: Using digital communication to facilitate sexual acts and creating a false perception of a student-teacher relationship.
– Offense against a student by an authority figure: Using his position to seduce and entice the victim to transmit explicit messages and photographs.

Clarke was arrested and booked into the Brevard County Jail without incident. The investigation into Clarke’s conduct is ongoing.

Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to local authorities to help protect the community’s children.

For more details, please refer to the official case report from the Cocoa Police Department.

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