Man arrested for child abuse after allegedly punching young teen in the face and head

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marvin Lewis Gamble, 32, was arrested yesterday for allegedly punching a young teen, leaving the victim with multiple injuries on his head and face.

The victim reportedly went to school on November 14 with visible facial injuries, but when he was asked about them, he did not disclose the abuse; according to the arrest report, this was because Gamble had coached him to not say anything.

However, on November 18, the victim told an adult at school that Gamble had hit him several times in the face, leading to injuries that “were indicative of at least five strikes to the facial/head area.”

The victim said that on November 13, Gamble hit him multiple times on the arms with a belt, then dragged him off a bed onto the floor, where he hit his head, before punching him in the face and head until he started bleeding.

The victim said that another adult was there and did nothing; two other adults (who are not school employees but are mandatory reporters; the location of the incident is not being disclosed to protect the identity of the victim) reportedly saw the injuries immediately after the incident, and the victim said he told them what happened, but the incident was not reported to the Department of Children and Families that day.

The Child Protection Team reported that they found evidence that the victim had been coached by Gamble.

Post Miranda, Gamble initially said he only hit the victim on the buttocks with a back scratcher and denied ever hitting the victim in the face. However, when he was shown photographs of the victim’s injuries, he reportedly admitted to dragging him off the bed, getting on top of him, and “popping” him on the mouth until he started bleeding. He denied causing the other facial injuries and said the victim was “lying.” He said he was “counseled” by the two other adults regarding his disciplinary methods.

Gamble has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. His full criminal history is unavailable, but he was arrested in Alachua County in October for failing to appear at a hearing for a charge of driving on a suspended license in DeSoto County. The officer in DeSoto County reported that Gamble said on August 4 that he was in the process of moving and getting new employment. Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $100,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.