A caregiver at a Florida facility for people with disabilities has been accused of impregnating a resident who gave birth in 2015.
Authorities say the 58-year-old man was arrested Wednesday on charges of lewd and lascivious battery on a disabled person.
An arrest affidavit says the man helped care for adult clients at a facility in Rockledge.
Staff members in 2015 discovered the female client was pregnant. The baby was born a few months later and adopted by the woman’s family.
Police say the woman has the mental capacity of a small child.
Authorities say the man had previously denied having sexual contact with the woman and voluntarily submitted a DNA sample last year. Investigators say the man’s sample came back a match with the child, resulting in his arrest.
According to the Disability and Abuse Project, which focuses on physical, sexual and emotional abuse of people with developmental or intellectual disabilities, 7 out of 10 Americans with developmental disabilities report they were sexually and/or physically assaulted, or neglected, or abused in some manner. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice reported 1.3 million crimes against persons with disabilities. Disabled women and men are three times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than the general population, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s data.
If you have a loved one who is or was being abused by a caregiver, our Florida Sexual Abuse Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help. Your consultatio is completely free of charge and you are under no obligation to us. We want to make sure that you are armed with the knowledge that you need to hold the responsible party accountable for their despicable actions.
Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free consultation.