Police say Joseph Steven Jackson tried to punch a girl in the face and was arrested Tuesday.

A University of Florida law professor was arrested Tuesday on a child abuse charge, according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report.

Joseph Steven Jackson, 59, of Gainesville, tried to punch the child, a girl in her early teens, in the face during an argument, but the girl backed away as he swung, the arrest report says. The strike was a glancing blow, and the victim was not injured.

Jackson told police he swung at her face and missed before swinging again and striking the girl's face, according to GPD. He said he punched the victim in the back as she ran away from him.

Jackson has been a faculty member at UF’s Levin College of Law since 1995, according to the college’s website. He is a senior legal skills professor and an associate director of the Center on Children and Families. He published an article about children’s rights in the Wake Forest Law Review.

He was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday, UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said.

Jackson was released from the Alachua County jail early Wednesday afternoon.