FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas police on Wednesday arrested a campus daycare worker on suspicion of two counts of sexual indecency with a child and one count of rape by forcible fondling, UA police Capt. Gary Crain said.
Joseph C. O’Neill, 31, had already been suspended and banned from the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center when he was arrested, police said. O’Neill, listed as a Fayetteville resident, was released Thursday from the Washington County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.
“Right now, we have two [alleged victims],” Crain said, with the investigation ongoing.
Police on Monday received a report of possible sexual indecency with a child at the site and are investigating allegations that the abuse took place at the center, Crain said.
The center provides care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, according to its website, and two officials there said staff called the state’s child abuse hotline as soon as they learned of the allegations.
“Center personnel made the initial hotline call starting the investigation and have assisted every step of the way,” Shelley McNally, the center’s director of education programs, and Doug Walsh, the center’s executive director for business and operations, said in a written response to questions from the Democrat-Gazette.
The center fired O’Neill on Wednesday, they said. On Monday, UA police issued a “safety warning” to the UA community via email about the investigation. The “safety warning” stated an employee had been suspended and banned from the center.
“Parents should speak with their children to determine if there are additional victims or any suspicious behavior,” the safety alert stated.
O’Neill was hired Aug. 12, a UA spokeswoman said.
McNally and Walsh said all hires undergo “multiple background checks.”
“We take any allegation of abuse seriously and our staff takes immediate action. This situation is deeply concerning for all of us. We are reviewing protocols and procedures to ensure the safety of the children in our care,” they said.
The center provides cares for about 150 children, they said. The Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division is assisting with the police investigation.