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Former Orlando day care teacher arrested for sexual battery of child, police say

ORLANDO, Fla. — A day care teacher, the center of two sexual abuse lawsuits at an Orlando preschool, was arrested Tuesday for sexual battery on a child and molestation.

The arrest of Jayrico Hamilton is related to the allegations that surfaced involving him and children as young as 3 years old at Bright Horizon’s at Baldwin Park.

Channel 9's Daralene Jones first exposed the allegations at Bright Horizon's nine months ago.

Police would not release details of Tuesday’s arrest citing an open and active investigation.

The 25-year-old faces charges of sexual battery on a victim under 12 years old, lewd or lascivious molestation and lewd or lascivious conduct and child abuse.

It's not clear whether the arrest Tuesday is related to two civil lawsuits filed by parents against the day care who allege Hamilton sexually abused their children at Bright Horizons.

The families allege Bright Horizons should have known Hamilton wasn't suited to work with children because of previous incidents in Virginia before he was hired at the Baldwin Park pre-school.

Hamilton was arrested in 2014 for domestic violence and charged with assault on a family member. He also arrested and pleaded guilty to perpetrating a bomb threat phone call.

The civil lawsuits claim Hamilton was fired from a Navy child development center for allegedly physically abusing a child.

One of the families who filed the civil lawsuits plans to hold a news conference Wednesday about Hamilton’s arrest.