A daycare worker in Huntsville, Alabama, has been charged with child sex abuse, leading three families to file a negligence lawsuit against the business.
Trinity United Methodist Church Child Development Center notified the Madison County Department of Human Resources on Tuesday, January 20, about allegations in which an employee inappropriately touched a child.
Huntsville Police Department officials were then told that employee Cameron White had inappropriate contact with a child he was watching while working at the daycare, according to WAFF 48.
The department’s Special Victims Unit quickly launched an investigation into the matter. While working with the Children’s Advocacy Center, county investigators managed to gather evidence against White and located him.
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Huntsville Police investigators and officers went to White’s home in Gurley, Alabama, on Thursday, January 22, and he was brought in for questioning. After he was interviewed by police, White, 24, was arrested on one count of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old (fondling), according to online records viewed by Us Weekly.
White is currently being held on a $100,000.00 bond. It is not immediately clear if he had entered a plea or retained legal representation.
On Saturday, January 24, three families filed a lawsuit against Trinity United Methodist Church on claims that White sexually assaulted their children when he worked at the daycare. The complaint named White, the church and the church’s child development center, according to AL.com.
The families claimed that the daycare and church’s “negligent and/or wanton failures” led to the children being put in an unsafe situation with White.
The lawsuit argued that the daycare “violated its own protocols and guidelines for reporting and recording prior incidents and suspicious conduct of Cameron White. Defendant also failed to abide by its own protocols and guidelines for notifying all interested parties once it became apparent that Cameron White likely presented a risk of harm to children,” according to News 19.
Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that the business failed “to ensure reasonable measures were taken to prevent foreseeable harm to children under its care.”
The victim’s families have requested a jury trial to deal with the lawsuit.
The Trinity United Methodist Church Child Development Center did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding White’s arrest or the lawsuit.
Following White’s arrest, Head Pastor Reverend Dr. Dedric Cowser issued a statement saying that he was heartbroken over the situation.
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“We are just heartbroken and devastated by the news of what has happened because at Trinity, we take the seriousness and sacredness of children and caring for them seriously,” Cowser said, per WAFF 48.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the church insisted they were working with law enforcement amid the investigation.
“When we became aware of the incident on Wednesday afternoon, we acted immediately, contacted the appropriate authorities, and terminated the employee involved,” the spokesperson told News 19. “We have been cooperating fully with the investigation since that time. Out of respect for the privacy of children and the ongoing investigation, we are not able to share additional details.”
The investigation into the matter remains ongoing.
