Florida Teacher Accused of Child Abuse

(St. Petersburg, Florida) A 35-year-old literacy teacher at the Lealman Asian Neighborhood Center, Danielle Harkins, has been accused of felony child abuse stemming from an attempt to expel evil spirits from two former students.

Officers said she convinced a couple of those teens that they had demons inside their bodies.

Police said the teacher told a 17-year-old that he needed to get rid of an evil tick. Officers said Harkins instructed another teen to cut into the back of that victim with a broken piece of glass to release the demon and then burned the wound shut with a heated up house key to stop the demon from getting back into his body.

Police say Harkins also poured perfume on a 16-year-old's right hand and lit it on fire in a ritualistic burning to expel evil spirits.

The director of the center said Harkins recently adopted a new religion. Details of Harkins arrest are unavailable.