A Nocatee mom is outraged that a local school never told parents about a former staff member’s sex crime arrest.
The man, known to stunned families as “Mr. Tony,” faces serious federal charges for explicit online conversations with someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
Many parents say they had no idea Tony Leroy Bartley Jr. had ever worked at Amazing Explorers Academy until news of his arrest became public.
Sarah Robilotta, whose children attended the academy for two years, told The Citizen that families only started connecting the dots after Bartley’s name appeared in media reports in early August.
“As soon as I found out, I let people I know who had kids at that daycare know, and they were all upset,” she said. “Everyone started calling the daycare, calling corporate, wanting answers. The daycare wasn’t calling or responding to anyone.”
She said the school later confirmed he had been employed there, but parents were never notified about his arrest or dismissal. Bartlett, she said, taught one of her kids at one point.
Bartley’s Facebook page listed him as an employee, and the center says he was terminated immediately after federal agents informed them of his bust.
Federal authorities say Bartley was arrested on August 5. The criminal complaint alleges he engaged in graphic online exchanges with an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Investigators say Bartley, 37, used the name “Keven” and started the conversation with messages like, “What’s good boo?” Court documents include explicit content that media outlets have redacted.
Robilotta said she is furious parents were left in the dark.
She believes child care centers should be required by law to alert families when employees are arrested for crimes involving children, calling the lack of transparency a serious ethical lapse.
“I know they did a background check on this guy, but what other checks did they do?” she asked. “Did they check his references?
Amazing Explorers Academy told The Citizen that it follows all state-mandated hiring requirements, including fingerprinting, background checks, and sex-offender screenings.
Administrators said Bartley was fired immediately after his arrest became known. They also launched an internal investigation with help from the Department of Children and Families.
