In many situations we have advised parents that they should be very careful when it comes to choosing the right babysitter to look over their children, but in a situation with disabled child, parents should be super-cautious in order to make the right decision.
However, Indiana parents made a huge mistake and instead of looking to hire someone with experience handling children with disabilities, they used a smartphone application and decided to hire someone they don’t know and someone they can’t trust.
According to police reports, the woman identified as the 47-year-old Stephanie B. has been arrested over accusations of raping a minor she was caring for who has special needs.
The suspect is facing multiple charges including rape, Level 3 felony and two counts of sexual battery, Level 6 felony and if found guilty is expected to spend many years in prison.
Because of the age of the victim, his name was not publicly released.
When questioned by police, the family said they hired the suspect to look over their children using the Nextdoor app. They described their son with disabilities as autistic and nonverbal and that he needed a special treatment and effort.
What the suspect didn’t know is that the parents had installed several cameras throughout their house in order to be assured that their son is safe with the babysitter. That’s how they found out that the woman was raping him and those videos will be used as an evidence in court.
According to the court records, multiple incidents were caught on the surveillance cameras and were given to the authorities to prove that the woman was abusing and raping the child.
The most recent incident that was caught allegedly showed Stephanie noticing the camera and turning it away from them. That was the last time for her to abuse the boy.
When police spoke with the suspect about the alleged abuse, she stated the juvenile was very “handsy” but did not tell the parents about this. Instead, according to court documents, “she wanted the juvenile victim to experience a sexual encounter.” She told police she was no longer able to get pregnant.
The victim has an Autism Spectrum Disorder and is nonverbal and Stephanie knew everything about the victim’s condition and police say she did this to “arouse or satisfy her sexual desires.”
This is a developing story and we will update it once more details are available. Police said a new statement about the incident should be released in the upcoming period.
Police ask if anyone has any further information about this case to contact the Carmel Police Department at (317) 571-2500.
