Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Robert Chaiken, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
In Colorado and other States, parents put faith and trust in both their church and day care center. Parents expect that the church day care center is a safe haven for their children and that there children will be provided with a learning environment that promotes the health, welfare, and education of the children. Unfortunately, in some day care centers in Colorado and other States, children are sexually molested and assaulted by day care workers and employees who are supposed to supervise and protect the children under their care. The molestation at a church day care center is among the most heinous acts and crimes imaginable for a parent.
In Texas and other States, summer camp should be a time for fun and adventure for children. Summer camp should also be a place where a child is cared for and supervised in a safe, healthy and supportive environment. Unfortunately, many children are abused and neglected each summer at summer camps. Some are raped. Some are molested. Many others suffer serious personal injuries and death due to the negligence of the camp operators, counselors, and / or support staff. In Kerrville, Texas, a former summer camp counselor recently struck a plea deal during a trial where the counselor was being prosecuted on aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child Texas criminal charges. The charges stemmed from allegations that a boy, who is now 11 years old, was molested / fondled as he left a shower area at the summer camp. It was reported that the family was disappointed in the camp’s actions or inactions in response to the counselor’s alleged inappropriate conduct with the children after the children had showered. The counselor denied the allegations of molesting the boy. Of course, trials, both civil and criminal, take place every day when there is a dispute over the allegations or facts. Without an admission, photographs, video tape, and multiple eyewitness accounts, it is often difficult to prosecute cases of alleged abuse and molestation at a summer camp, day care center, or other location. In some cases, there is forensic medical evidence showing the improper and forceful conduct. It should be pointed out that each case, whether civil or criminal in nature, must be evaluated by its own facts and the application of the the State and sometimes Federal law on point. For more information regarding this Texas trial and plea deal, see 
A day care operator and one of her employees have been accused of child abuse at a child care center in Surry County, North Carolina. The charges were formally pressed against 46-year-old Renee Frances, co-owner of the child care center, and 26-year-old Patricia Ann Seville, an employee at the center, following a two-month investigation. Frances and Seville were charged with child abuse and neglect, arrested and their bond set a $25,000 unsecured. According to Sheriff Graham Atkinson, the Surry County Sheriff’s Office was contacted on February 16 about a 2-year-old that had been abused at Blackburn’s Nursery and Day Care. An investigation was immediately initiated and included numerous interviews before warrants were formally issued. Although Frances and Seville have been arrested, the lead detective on the case said she is currently unable to release specifics on the type of abuse alleged. For more read
Janaysia Stevenson was the unfortunate and tragic victim of child abuse. Recently, law enforcement officials and prosecutors in Albany, Georgia pressed criminal charges against the director of the day care center. What alleged crime was committed by the day care director? According to Georgia law enforcement officials, the day care director (Glenda Ann Brown) failed to report child abuse. Authorities believe that Glenda Ann Brown should have reported injuries and bruises to the child to authorities so that a child abuse investigation could have been initiated. There will be many issues involved with a case like this including:
In Texas, a 65 year old babysitter (Carolyn “Carrie” Marie Easton) was arrested for allegations that she shook and slapped 5 month old triplets under her care. The interesting part of this case is that the alleged abuse was caught on tape by the parents who had installed a hidden video camera. The parents were concerned about the amount of play time that the children received under the babysitter’s care and supervision. When the parents viewed the tape, the parents discovered the abuse and neglect by the babysitter. The acts were not only horrible but also criminal in nature.