He was given a $2,500 unsecured bond and was immediately released from custody at the magistrate's office. Huffman is scheduled to appear in District court on Sept. 1. This arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Sylva Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Social Services. 

On Wednesday, Aug. 19, this investigation began when it was reported that a 13-year-old child was assaulted during an online elementary school class. This online classroom session was an English class for Fairview Elementary School. The class was scheduled from 1:05 p.m. until 1:50 p.m. The other children in the class witnessed the assault. A participant in this class made a recording of the assault. This recording was turned over to law enforcement.  

The video of this incident is very brief. In the recording, the child is at her home and seated in front of the computer during this class. When Huffman becomes visible in the video, he is seen wrapping his arm around the child’s jawline area and squeezing tightly. After a few seconds, the child is released from the hold and begins visibly crying. The child is then forcefully struck in the head. The video ends at that point.  

Sylva Police Officers shared the video clip with the District Attorney’s Office. After consultation with the District Attorney about the case, Sylva Police Department filed the listed charges against Huffman.