A former employee of the Berlin Activities Depot, Catherine Deutsch, 32, of Ocean Pines, was arrested June 11 on 15 charges – 11 charges of failure to report child abuse/neglect and four charges of neglect of a minor.
The Berlin Activities Depot and Education Station is pictured.
File photo
By Steve Green, Executive Editor
A second arrest has been made as part of an ongoing child abuse investigation at a local day care.
A former employee of the Berlin Activities Depot, Catherine Deutsch, 32, of Ocean Pines, was arrested June 11 on 15 charges – 11 charges of failure to report child abuse/neglect and four charges of neglect of a minor.
Deutsch reportedly worked in the same infant classroom as Heather Ward, 40, of Berlin, who was indicted in late March by a county grand jury on 90 charges, including 10 felony child abuse charges related to nine children under her supervision.
The charges were filed earlier this year after the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and Child Protective Services were informed last November an eight-month-old had been admitted to Atlantic General Hospital with a broken tibia.
“During the investigation, it was determined that the injured child was an attendee of the Berlin Education Station Childcare Center,” a release from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Investigation read in March. “Video surveillance footage from the child’s classroom revealed actions by an employee identified as Heather Ward that appeared to cause the injuries to the child. The video footage additionally revealed other concerning interactions with several other children under her care.”
In a statement issued in response to request for comment after Deutsch’s arrest, Berlin Activities Depot owner/operator Carmella Solito continued to express her disgust over the events that allegedly transpired inside her facility. Solito has been blunt with her outrage over Ward’s case and this week issued a similar comment about Deutsch’s charges.
“I am outraged by the allegations against this former employee,” the statement read. “Neglect of a minor and failing to report suspected child abuse are unacceptable and go against everything Berlin Activities Depot stands for. We have zero tolerance for any action that jeopardizes the safety and wellbeing of children in our care. Protecting children must be our highest calling as childcare providers and as members of this community. I am devastated that an employee may have violated the sacred trust families place in us. We are committed to upholding the highest standards to ensure parents feel completely confident their children are in a safe, secure, and nurturing environment at all times.”
Solito said her business remains committed to assisting police investigating the case, saying, “I commend the tireless efforts of law enforcement in investigating these disturbing allegations. We will continue to fully assist their ongoing investigation in any way we can.”
An initial appearance for Deutsch in Worcester County Circuit Court is scheduled for July 3.