A 16-year-old boy who attended a boot camp in Mobile, Ala., says a camp instructor there choked him because he couldn't complete his exercises.
William Vargas, of Coconut Creek, attended the Restoration Youth Academy. He said his mother sent him there after he got out of control at home.
"He started choking me. He picked me up from the floor and started choking me," said Vargas.
The Christian-based camp uses strict discipline, but Vargas said William Knott, a camp drill instructor, choked him when he couldn't complete his exercises.
"After he choked me, he punched me on the side of my head. He started stomping on my back," he said. "I still have nightmares about it."
Another boy who attended the camp claimed in a written statement that Knott choked him as well.
"I witnessed a boy getting beat by William," said Lydia Honea. "The way they run the camp is really backwards and not honorable at all."
Honea is a former cadet who now stays in the home of former Restoration Youth Academy instructor Karin Peyregne, who wants to shut down the camp.
"I began to notice more and more abuse," said Peyregne. "They were treated in a very, very, very inappropriate manner."
Another participant, Madison Litsky, told Local 10's Bob Norman camp owner John Young hit her twice in the head, which he denied in a phone interview.
"We don't abuse kids," said Young.
Knott also denied claims of abuse in a phone interview, but allegations were also made against him at another camp called Bethel Boys Academy, which was shut down after numerous lawsuits filed alleged systematic abuse involving several teenagers. Knott said he left the camp before the abuse ever occurred.
"You see repeat allegations seem to be following Mr. Knott. Does that concern you?" Norman asked Young.
"If you're in this business and kids want to go home, they'll say anything," answered Young.
"These kids are already out and they're still making these allegations and they're going on camera and they're doing everything they can to expose what they say is abuse and mistreatment at this camp," said Norman.
"I can tell you this -- there is no abuse or mistreatment at this camp," replied Young.
Litsky also mentioned a small isolation room where camp goers spent days at a time.
"Sometimes they would shackle you in there. They actually had two girls in there shackled," she said.
Counselors and teachers don't have the same state licenses required at state-run boot camps. Young said it's because of the camp's church affiliation.
"Because we are a Christian-based program, we are not required to have a license with out program," he said.
Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have investigated Restoration Youth Academy, but no allegations of abuse have been proven.
"The findings of abuse and neglect did not occur," said Young.
"They can do anything to you and you can tell someone but they can lie," said Litsky.
Litsky's mother sent her to the camp. Since she returned home to Plantation in December, she has been living with a friend.
Litsky has been estranged from her mother but told Norman they recently met and are beginning to mend their relationship.
Vargas is back in Coconut Creek but said the experience still haunts him.
"I've seen kids choked. I've seen kids slapped. I've seen kids punched," he said. "That place needs to be shut down."
A police agency in Ala. is investigating the most recent abuse allegations.