Parents demanding answers after day care worker accused of sexually abusing child



NORMANDY PARK, Wash. -- Police accused a day care worker of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl after the victim's father allegedly walked in on the abuse.  Families  of other kids there were angry and demanding answers.

Police say it happened at a Normandy Park day care, Kid's Country, and the victim's father walked in on the assault.

The 31-year-old male suspect was arrested on Friday, but parents and grandparents who send their kids to the day care found out about the allegations only on Monday.

“We are pulling them (the children) out for good,” said one grandmother.

“I am going to grab all of her stuff and pretty sure we are not coming back,” grandmother Katie Burns said. “You want to protect your kids you want to do everything to protect them."

Detectives say when a father came to pick up his daughter, the worker and the child were “crouched behind a bookshelf." The worker said they were having a “tickle fight.”

Police say later  the 5 year-old told her father the employee touched her private parts.

When questioned, police said, the suspect admitted to touching the child but told detectives it was an accident.

The worker was arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of first-degree child rape.

Q13 FOX News is not naming the suspect because he has not been charged.

“I’m in shock. He’s my neighbor, he lives close to me, I have four kids,” neighbor Edith said.

The suspect’s neighbors are not the only ones in disbelief. His grandmother says she is heartbroken.

“It’s hard to believe it’s true," she said. "He was raised in a good environment. We don’t know of any reason of this happening.”

The grandmother did not want to show her face on camera. But she told Q13 FOX News that if the allegations are true, her family is sorry.

“I am very, very sorry if this is true. I am sorry. Please forgive us. I am crying for everybody, I am crying for the little girl, I am crying for our family,” the grandmother said.



Administrators at the day care did not want to go on camera but they say the state does an extensive criminal background check on all their employees. The state confirmed that they did one on the suspect and he passed.

Many families want to know why they not notified of the allegations.  The Washington Department of Early Learning told Q13 FOX News that they believe it's an isolated incident.

Normandy police say the investigation is continuing.