A senior enlisted U.S. Army Reserve noncommissioned officer arrested last year for sexually abusing a high school student while working as a substitute teacher in Florida has now pleaded guilty in one case, as court records show investigators uncovered dozens of additional felony offenses involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and illegal animal sexual exploitation during the investigation.
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Joseph Antoine Prevatte, 39, an Army Reserve intelligence NCO, is now facing more than 70 felony counts in Hillsborough County after a search warrant connected to the student sex investigation led detectives to additional evidence on his electronic devices, according to court filings obtained by The Salty Soldier.
Prevatte was initially arrested in November 2024 following an investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office into inappropriate sexual contact with a minor student. According to court records, the investigation began after a tip was submitted to FortifyFL, prompting school officials to notify state authorities and law enforcement. Detectives later determined that Prevatte, while working as a substitute teacher, had established ongoing private communications with the student through social media messaging platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, outside of school hours.
Investigators allege the communications escalated over time from casual conversation to sexually explicit exchanges. Court documents state that Prevatte used the messaging platforms to arrange in-person meetings with the student, including encounters that occurred after school hours and away from campus. In sworn affidavits, detectives described how Prevatte leveraged his position of authority as a school employee to maintain contact with the student and conceal the nature of their interactions from parents and school officials.
Law enforcement further alleged that Prevatte sent sexually explicit images of himself to the student and encouraged reciprocal communication, conduct that ultimately formed the basis for charges of lewd or lascivious battery, lewd or lascivious molestation, and harmful communication with a minor. Based on those findings, a search warrant was executed on Prevatte’s electronic devices as part of the student-related investigation, a step that later led to the discovery of additional criminal evidence and the filing of separate felony charges in Hillsborough County
According to a search warrant and supporting affidavits, investigators obtained a forensic download of Prevatte’s cellular phone that had already been seized as evidence in the student case. During the forensic review, detectives identified material that led to a separate felony prosecution for possession of child sexual abuse material, triggering a new criminal case filed in March 2025.
Court records show Prevatte has since entered a plea in the student-related case, resolving those charges ahead of trial. In September 2025, the court accepted his plea and scheduled sentencing for January 2026, according to a plea agreement and docket entries.
However, the plea does not resolve the far more extensive set of charges filed in the second case.
In the CSAM case, prosecutors charged Prevatte with more than 60 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, each classified as a second-degree felony under Florida law. Charging documents allege the material included multiple qualifying aggravating factors under statute, including the volume of material and the age of victims depicted.
In addition, Prevatte faces multiple third-degree felony counts related to the possession of visual depictions involving sexual activity with an animal, a separate criminal offense under Florida law, according to the criminal report affidavit and charging documents.
The CSAM charges were filed as a distinct case and remain active. Court dockets show the case progressed through extensive pretrial litigation in 2025, including multiple pretrial hearings and motions to seal sensitive investigative materials. Jury trial dates that had been scheduled for late 2025 were subsequently vacated as the case advanced procedurally, with sentencing now scheduled for January 2026.
Prosecutors also moved early in the case to keep search warrant affidavits and forensic evidence sealed, citing an ongoing felony investigation and the need to protect victims and investigative methods. A judge granted an in-camera review of those materials, temporarily restricting public access while the case proceeded.
At the time of his arrest, Prevatte was serving as an intelligence noncommissioned officer with a U.S. Army Reserve unit aligned with Special Operations Command. He previously served on active duty from 2003 to 2007 and had remained in the Reserve since 2007, according to Army statements and prior reporting.
The Army Reserve previously acknowledged awareness of the case and stated it was monitoring the situation. As of publication, it remains unclear whether Prevatte has been administratively separated from military service or is facing court-martial proceedings in addition to the civilian prosecutions.
Prevatte remains subject to strict court-ordered conditions, including prohibitions on contact with minors and restrictions on internet-capable devices, according to docket entries.
The Salty Soldier will continue to follow both cases as they move toward trial and sentencing.
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