Family hires attorney after nonprofit employee arrested for grooming teenager

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — The family of a 15-year-old boy has hired an attorney after an employee at AMIkids Sand Hills was arrested for allegedly grooming the teenager.

Florence Garland White, 31, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office after she continued to communicate with the boy despite being instructed not to do so.

“Imagine sending your child to a program like this only to find out that, instead of being protected and empowered, he was being groomed, victimized and traumatized,” the attorney representing the family, Anna Magann, said.

AMIkids Sand Hills, founded in 1996, offers a residential program for children as young as 11, focusing on trauma-informed care to help youth transition back to community settings. However, the family claims that their son, referred to as ‘John Doe,’ was victimized during his stay.

White was arrested on June 27 after turning herself in to authorities. She is accused of maintaining inappropriate contact with the minor through social media and encouraging him to reach out to her despite the ongoing investigation.

The family and their attorney are exploring legal options and plan to file a lawsuit to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

VIDEO: School district implements anti-grooming videos for students

This browser does not support the video element.