5-year-old gets sexually abused by emotional support therapist, Delaware cops say

A school emotional support therapist was arrested after being accused of sexually abusing a 5-year-old, Delaware officials said.

The child told officials John Arnold, 47, touched them inappropriately at a home in Fairfax and on multiple other occasions, according to a July 12 news release by New Castle County officers.

After further investigating, police learned Arnold was an emotional support therapist for the Brandywine School District, officers said.

Police don’t believe any students from the district were victims, according to the release.

McClatchy News reached out to the school district for a statement on July 15 and was awaiting a response.

“We want to assure our students, staff, families, and community that the safety and well-being of our students is our main priority. Due to these circumstances, the staff member involved will not be performing any duties and will not be present in any capacity nor have any access to students while the investigation is ongoing,” a district spokesperson told WTXF in a statement.

Arnold was arrested on July 11 and charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual abuse, officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 302-395-8030, officials said.

Fairfax is about a 5-mile drive north of Wilmington.

This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 1:07 PM with the headline "5-year-old gets sexually abused by emotional support therapist, Delaware cops say."