VIDEO: Elementary School Principal In Satellite Beach Arrested After Child Porn Investigation

By  //  June 4, 2016

59-year-old Ricky Delano Sheppard is the Principal at Spessard Holland Elementary School

ABOVE AND BELOW VIDEOS: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Task Force and members of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrested 59-year-old Ricky Delano Sheppard after a child pornography investigation. Sheppard, 59, was reprimanded in 1999 for inappropriate comments and gifts to a 6-year-old boy, prior to becoming the principal at Spessard Holland Elementary School. (Space Coast Daily video above, BPS video below)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – On Friday, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Task Force and members of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrested 59-year-old Ricky Delano Sheppard of Melbourne, according to Cpl. Dave Jacobs of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.

In a release by BCSO, Sheppard’s arrest was the result of a child pornography investigation, which led to a Federal search warrant executed Friday morning at his residence, located at 1824 Clover Drive in Melbourne.

The United States Attorney’s Office is actively reviewing information related to this investigation and will be releasing official charges and more details as they becomes available.

RICKY-DELANO-SHEPPARD-180-2
Ricky Sheppard

Sheppard, a Brevard Public School employee, is the principal of Spessard Holland Elementary School in Satellite Beach.

The Brevard County School Board and Superintendent have been notified of his arrest and charges.

The school board is cooperating with the investigation and immediately placed Sheppard on paid administrative leave, according to Cpl. Jacobs.

Sheppard was transported to Orlando and delivered to the custody of the U.S. Marshal. Sheppard made his initial appearance in Federal Court at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.

Sheriff Wayne Ivey
Sheriff Wayne Ivey

“As a 36 year law enforcement officer, I can’t understand how someone in our society could become this demented. As the principal of an elementary school his primary job is to protect children. His actions are unimaginable and violate the very trust that every parent and child had in him,” said Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

“His actions have violated the public’s trust, however, I can assure you that our actions as Law Enforcement Officers and School Administrators will make sure that he can never put another child in harm’s way.”

In 1999, Sheppard was reprimanded in a letter by then principal of Gemini Elementary School Joyce Parten for “inappropriate professional behavior and poor judgment concerning excessive gifts and personal comments targeted at a student in a first grade classroom” when Sheppard was a school employee.

Registered Sex Offenders In Cocoa Beach – Required To Register With FDLE, BCSORelated Story:
Registered Sex Offenders In Cocoa Beach – Required To Register With FDLE, BCSO

Below is an excerpt from the letter of reprimand dated December 14, 1999:

A parent of 6-year-old student in your class cites your giving numerous gifts to her son over a period of 6 weeks and making inappropriate statements to her son concerning a room at your house for this child. Your actions included poor judgment, inappropriate comments to a student and singling out a student for special favors.

I expect the following action to be taken immediately: 

• No private contact the parents or the child concerning this incident

• No gifts given to any student in your class with the following exceptions:
– Gifts used as incentives under school approved programs (such as: discipline plan and accelerated reading)

• No more verbal comments referring to “taking students home with you” or any comments of a similar personal nature

If similar inappropriate behavior occurs again on your part, further disciplinary action will be taken including but not limited to referral to Professional Practices for violation of the Code of Ethics.

Anyone with additional information about this investigation is asked to please call the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Services at 321-633-8499 or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).

You can also visit crimeline.org or text ‘crimeline’ plus your tip to CRIME (274637).  All information to CRIMELINE is confidential and you may be eligible for a reward.

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ABOVE MAP: In a release by police,  Ricky Sheppard’s arrest was the result of a child pornography investigation, which led to a Federal search warrant being executed Friday morning at his residence, located 1824 Clover Drive in Melbourne.

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In a release by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Ricky Sheppard’s arrest was the result of a child pornography investigation, which led to a Federal search warrant being executed Friday morning at his residence at 1824 Clover Drive in Melbourne.