The account the middle school girl gave Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies Thursday describes her father as a violent man who has beaten the girl and her mother repeatedly, once holding a gun to her mother’s head, of a half-dozen whippings the girl has endured, of a mother too fearful to intervene, and of the girl learning defensive tactics–from her father–so she could protect herself and her mother from him.
“She commonly hides any physical injuries she has by wearing clothing over it,” a sheriff’s report states in reference to the girl.
The girl did not report the abuse. She had gone to school in Palm Coast with visible injuries. School staff are required by law to intervene and alert authorities if they suspect a case of child abuse. They did, alerting the Department of Children and Families, one of whose officers interviewed the child. That, in turn, led the DCF official to alert the Sheriff’s Office.
Because of the circumstances, sheriff’s detectives determined that the best course of action was to intercept the girl’s school bus at a safe location, where detectives and a DCF official met the girl and took her to be interviewed.
By Thursday evening, Brian Leonard Rock Jr., a 36-year-old resident of Spruce Street in Bunnell’s Mondex, also known as Daytona North, was arrested on a felony child abuse charge and booked at the Flagler County jail on $10,000 bond, where he remained this morning.
The incident that precipitated Rock’s arrest took place Wednesday evening. According to the girl’s account to deputies, he and her mother had gone to dinner, leaving the girl at home with her 13-year-old brother. She had instructions to feed and water the ducks and chickens on the property. She did so before her parents returned between 10 and 11 p.m. But her father claimed she’d not completed the work to his satisfaction. “He then confronted her in the kitchen and grabbed her left arm with one of his hands and the front of her neck with the other,” the report states. “She stated he then shoved her out the door of the residence almost causing her to fall and he slammed the door shut.” Her mother was initially in another room, as was her brother, but her mother came out to see him shoving their daughter out the door. The girl was eventually led back into the house.
Asked when she’d last been physically assaulted, the girl told a deputy that Rock had whipped her with a horse whip about two weeks earlier. She had supposedly done something wrong. She could not remember what. She was in the yard. “He just wacked me with the whip,” she said. She still bore the marks of the whipping on her body, and displayed them to authorities–a red mark on her forearm that appeared to be healing, another one on her abdomen “consistent with being struck by a whip,” the sheriff’s report states.
Rock, the girl reported, drinks on a regular basis, gets angry when he drinks, and gets angrier and more violent still when his family members report abuse to the Department of Children and Families, and show up at the house, as DCF and the Sheriff’s Office have in the past. Last September, when the girl was 14, she’d written an email to her teacher saying Rock was very abusive toward her mother. “He just sits in bed and drinks beer allllllll day,” the girl had written, and at one point pulled a gun on them, according to a sheriff’s report from that time. The teacher immediately reported the incident to DCF. It’s not clear how DCF proceeded. Sheriff’s deputies visited the residence, but no arrests were made at the time.
The girl on Thursday recounted that her father had numerous firearms, one of which he’d held against her mother’s head, and that her younger brother had once witnessed him whipping his sister. “She hadn’t disclosed to her mother the most recent time that her father used the whip against her,” the report states. “Her mother is too afraid of [Rock] to intervene.”
The couple have never married, but live as a family unit. After describing to deputies how she had her father teach her defensive tactics so she could execute them against him, she said she’d become accustomed to the violence and how to hide its evidence on her person.
When deputies went to the Spruce Street residence, Rock acknowledged grabbing his daughter to “redirect” her outside the house the previous night, but denied using a whip against her. Deputies retrieved the whip from one of the children’s bedrooms.
If Rock posts bond, pending trial proceedings, he is under a no-contact order extending to the girl, her brother and their mother. He is barred from consuming alcohol or illegal drugs and required to submit to urinalysis. He is not required to surrender his firearms.
Concerned Citizen says
That poor girl. I csn only imagine what she has had to endure.
Multiple people including our justice system have failed her. I do not understand why DCF doesn’t take more aggresive action. Specifically when abuse is so apparent. Also if her Mother and Father knew why aren’t they being charged for failure to report it? Damn being afraid of this dude. Get away from him and lock his ass up.
To the useless judge who allowed him a 10K bond and refused to take his guns. You just made it easy for this dude to get back out and harm his family. I hope you’re satisfied. Time and time again our pathetic judges undermine Law Enforcement efforts. By issuing ridiculous bonds. And allowing violent offenders to still have access to their fire arms.
I hope she is able to get away from this situation and get the help that she needs.
@Brian
Would you like to meet somewhere and try that whip on me? As an adult male over 6 foort I promise you won’t get the same results as you did with a defenseless child. And if you draw a weapon you better be prepared to use it the first time. I don’t give second chances.
Unbelievable says
I seriously can’t believe that they fave him a low bond and let him keep his firearms! He bonded out the 15 hours later. I sure hope they put that t family somewhere safe!!
Steve Robinson says
No booze, no drugs, no horse whip, but let him keep his guns. Clearly, the second amendment was written so that lowlifes who drink all day and beat and terrorize children can defend themselves when the Black Helicopters arrive. “International embarrassment” indeed.
Stop the madness says
“He is not required to surrender his firearms. ” if anyone should be prohibited from the right to use firearms it is this man and others like him. How anyone can believe it is safe for someone who drinks all day and literally whips his children to have access to weapons is beyond me. If you value your right to bear arms, stand up against this type of situation. It’s what makes the rest of us fearful of guns!
Trailer Bob says
Who is writing Flagler Live? just about every fifth work is spelled wrong?
Shouldn’t the ability to spell everyday words be somewhat of a requirement to call yourself a writer or publisher?
As for the story, very sad and alarming to read.
I know this family and am actually really shocked. Hope they all get the help they need.
FlaglerLive says
Just about every fifth “work”?
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Hey FlaglerLive can make all the grammatical mistakes they want – without it Flagler County citizens would be kept in the dark; the News Journal could care less about the real issues and the Observer has their favorites so it’s really hit and miss compared to Flagler Live ( although Brian McMillan is a real nice guy ;he does not have the final word – John Walsh does) so Bravo FlaglerLive.
Now onto this sub-human degenerate father ; he gets out on a $10,000 bond and asked “pretty please stay away from your daughter and her mother” . We need to get of that judge ! People get stuck in the no mask provided Green Roof Inn for a couple of grams or ounces of pot but this guy gets to go out drinking and waving his gun?
Don’t we need to do some serious house cleaning in Flagler County on all fronts?
Steve says
The grammar Police are alive and well in the World. Lol This type of complaining is what the “Liberals” get accused of constantly. Let it ride
Dennis says
Why is bail so low in Flagler County? His bail should be at least $100000 to keep him there. The judges are a joke. Let criminals out for pennies.
Trailer Bob says
As a gun owner and advocate, it blows my mind that this guy still has his pistol. Something very wrong here…I believe the sheriff’s department needs to re-think this one through. Anyone who beats their family should not possess any type of gun. Guns are for us sane people to protect ourselves from people like this.