Sheriff: Daycare worker charged for allegedly sharing obscene photos with kids at school

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Burke County deputies said a daycare worker accused of sharing obscene photos with children at an elementary school has been charged.

The Burke County sheriff told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty the case involves after-school daycare worker Kendra Sprouse, who worked at Salem Elementary School. He said his office first learned of the allegation back on Oct. 10.

On Tuesday, deputies confirmed Sprouse was charged with felony indecent liberties with a child and disseminating harmful material to a minor.

The school district told Faherty the daycares operating before and after school hours are run by the YMCA. The Y sent out a letter to parents in this month, saying, “preventing child abuse is the goal of our YMCA and all youth serving organizations.”

The YMCA let parents know it was made aware of a situation involving one of the daycare workers and that it does screenings and background checks prior to employment.

Parents told Faherty they’re disappointed to learn this happened at their school.

“Make sure the people around your kids are good people with clear backgrounds, because they directly effect our future, you know, anything done against these children can impact how their lives turn out,” said Samantha Smith, a mother with two kids at the school.

Mom Samantha Burgess said situations like this make her hesitant to use daycares for her three kids.

“Unfortunately, in these days and times, it’s one of those things you really have to do your own research on. I don’t really trust anyone watching my kids other than their grandparents,” she said.

The YMCA said Sprouse was fired after learning of the allegations.

The YMCA sent the following statement to Channel 9 in reference to the case:

“On Thu., Oct. 6, we were informed of alleged inappropriate behavior by a member of our afterschool staff at Salem Elementary School. We immediately terminated the individual’s employment, notified the school, and engaged local authorities. Out of an abundance of caution, we proactively informed the parents and guardians of the 47 children in the program.

“The YMCA of Catawba Valley takes very seriously the safety and well-being of the children in our care. In addition to careful screening and a national background check prior to employment, our Y checks all membership records, including all staff, against the National Sex Offender Registry daily. All staff at YMCA licensed childcare sites are required to obtain a NCDCDEE Qualifying Letter which involves an SBI Background Check and live-scan fingerprinting. Furthermore, all licensed childcare staff are required to take child abuse awareness and prevention training through Prevent Child Abuse NC and are counseled on how to report suspicions of child abuse and who to make those reports to.

“Our employees adhere to a strict policy that prevents any staff or volunteers from being alone with a child where they cannot be observed by others.

“The former employee’s background checks did not indicate any criminal activity.”

Burke County Public Schools shared the following statement with Channel 9:

“On Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, Burke County Public Schools became aware of an investigation related to the YMCA before- and after-school program housed at one of our campuses. The investigation involves a YMCA daycare employee who is not employed by Burke County Public Schools. Burke County Public Schools has an agreement with YMCA of Catawba Valley to operate eight daycares in our elementary school facilities. While Burke County Public Schools provides the building space, YMCA provides the programming and staff. We are grateful for our partnership with the YMCA and are cooperating in any way we can with the investigation.”

(WATCH BELOW: Parent alarmed at what she saw on daycare’s livestream)

Parent alarmed at what she saw on daycare’s livestream

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