A former Lakeview Center manager accused of abusing a child at the center is expected to avoid prison by entering a pretrial intervention program.
Denise Webb, who is charged with one third-degree felony count of child abuse without great bodily harm, informed the court March 17 of her intention to plea straight up to her felony charge in an agreement with the state to undergo a pretrial intervention program and withhold adjudication in her case.
“The defendant will enter a plea and sentencing will be deferred,” court records said. “The defendant will then be referred to the pretrial intervention program.”
According to court records, if Webb completes the program, her plea will be withdrawn and the Office of the State Attorney will dismiss her case. If she does not complete the program successfully, her plea will stand and a judge will determine a sentence up to the maximum five years in prison.
Webb must complete the following program requirements:
LifeView Group, the parent company of FamiliesFirst Network and Lakeview Center, told the News Journal after Webb’s arrest that she was placed on administrative leave. LifeView Group confirmed to the News Journal March 17 that Webb resigned from her position at FamiliesFirst Network in the fall of 2025.
What is Denise Webb accused of doing?
Fellow employees at the Lakeview Center Children Services reported to the Department of Children and Families that Webb was using unapproved and unsafe methods to discipline children.
Acting as a team manager for Family First Network, Webb allegedly first abused a child between April 30 and May 1 when witnesses say the woman grabbed a 4-year-old by the hood of his jacket, grabbed his face and slapped him on the back of the head before “placing her foot on top of (the child’s) head.”
During a second incident with the same child on May 1, witnesses told a DCF investigator that Webb grabbed the hood of the boy’s jacket and pulled it back, which “appeared to be restricting (his) breathing.”
After the incident, the employee who witnessed Webb’s alleged actions texted her boss, saying, “Denise just totally crossed the line with (the child). She hit him on the head, stepped on his head and grabbed his face super hard.”
Webb was also charged with a second count of child abuse for an incident with a separate child in which she allegedly struck a 7-year-old boy twice in the chest and lifted him off the ground by his ankle. The Office of the State Attorney dropped this charge during the March 17 hearing, according to court records.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Ex-Lakeview manager accused of child abuse will avoid prison with plea
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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