Following an investigation into multiple reports of child abuse occurring at two Richmond daycare facilities, three individuals have been arrested.
In March, detectives at the Richmond Police Department began their investigation into A Step Ahead Daycare and The Kid’s Club Childcare Center. According to Richmond Police, the investigation provided substantiation into several abuse complaints involving physical assault of children as well as criminal abuse of a child by depriving them a certain food needed due to a health condition.
Police say three daycare workers; Theodrick Hersey, Brooklyn Houk, and Jessica Houck; observed the reported abuse and wrote up the employee for their behavior, but allowed the staff member who was not named in the arrest citation to remain employed by the daycare. As a result, 5 additional children were subjected to abuse by that employee, per the arrest citation.
The citation alleges that the three arrested workers were mandatory reporters who were aware of abuse and neglect in their daycare centers which included children being strangled and punched, as well as a parent reporting concerns of sexual abuse against another employee that they failed to report.
Investigators also say that they discovered text messages from Brooklyn Houk and Jessica Houck telling other staff members to lie to state investigators about a child getting out of their daycare center undetected and almost accessing a major roadway. When police questioned other daycare employees, they reportedly stated that the three staff members were involved in a plan to cover up the incident of the child getting out of the facility which involved one daycare employee giving false statements to investigators.
Hersey, Houk, and Houck were arrested and lodged in the Madison County Detention Center where they are currently charged with 1st degree criminal abuse, knowingly obstructing an investigation, and failure to report child abuse. Their arrests come days after another worker at A Step Ahead Daycare, Elizabeth Thomas, was arrested following an investigation into allegations of child abuse while working at the daycare.
