Son of Former Arp ISD Administrator Sentenced in East Texas Case

The son of a former Arp ISD assistant principal was sentenced to 10 years of probation. The judge also ordered that he have no contact with his mother or the victim. This East Texas case has gained lots of attention recently as 23-year-old Blake Florence was sentenced for luring a 14-year-old girl from her parents, impregnating her, and injuring a child per a plea agreement.

Why Blake Florence Received Probation

According to CBS 19, Blake Florence pleaded guilty to injury to a child as part of a plea agreement that would dismiss two other charges he was facing of sexual assault of a child. Florence was sentenced to 10 years' probation in the 114th district court.

READ MORE: Marshall ISD Aide Arrested After Child Injury Claim

Judge Orders Strict Probation Conditions

Judge Austin Reeve Jackson also added probation conditions, which included making monthly child support payments, monitoring conditions and residency restrictions. Judge Jackson also ordered that Blake Florence have no contact with his mother Karla Florence, except when authorized by the court. His defense attorney questioned that stipulation.

The judge then stated she is also the "same person who lied to investigators" and "sought to tamper with the victim" after the investigation into allegations of her son sexually assaulting the 14-year-old victim.

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Timeline of the Criminal Investigation

Blake Florence and his mother, Karla Florence, were both arrested in August 2025, at the time Karla was the assistant principal at Arp Elementary. At the time he was charged with sexual assault of a child and tampering with physical evidence. She was charged with failure to report and making a false report to a peace officer.

Blake Florence began dating the 14-year-old girl when he was 19 years old. The girl later learned she was pregnant and gave birth in the summer of 2024.

A school employee reported in October 2023 that the child was upset after taking a pregnancy test and it showed a positive result. She admitted at the time that Blake Florence was the father, and she told investigators they had what she described as 'consensual sex,' although a child cannot legally consent under Texas law.

Investigators found sexual text messages between Blake and the child during the spring and summer of 2025 when the child was still only 16. Law enforcement also found that the sexual activity occurred at the Florences' home in Arp.

In court it was alleged that Karla Florence was aware of the relationship and failed to report it to law enforcement. Karla has not been indicted on any charges since her arrest in August 2025.

Arp ISD has confirmed she is no longer an employee of the district.