Lake Stevens police arrest daycare worker accused of rape of a child

Lake Stevens daycare worker arrested for child rape

Lake Stevens police said a daycare worker was arrested after allegations of child rape, believing there is at least one young victim.

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. - Lake Stevens police said a daycare worker was arrested after allegations of child rape. Parents contacted FOX 13 News sharing their concerns.

We talked with the director at the business, and she told us she was devastated. She said nothing like this has ever happened in more than three decades at her facility.

What we know:

Police said they believe there is at least one young victim. They said the investigation started when one employee reported another employee being involved in the incident.

What exactly happened inside Country Dawn Preschool and Childcare? That's the question parents told us they're asking after they received a letter dated Jan. 19.

Statement from the owners of Country Dawn

What they're saying:

The letter said in part, "we became aware of a serious concern involving an individual who was associated with our program. The individual is no longer present at the center, and the matter has been reported to and is being addressed by the appropriate authorities."

The notification went on to say that Country Dawn is cooperating with, "licensing, Child Protective Services and law enforcement agencies."

FOX 13 News confirmed with Lake Stevens Police that officers were notified of a possible sexual assault with a young victim at the childcare facility on Jan. 16. They said an employee reported the incident which involved another employee. What's not clear is when the alleged sexual assault occurred. 

Investigators told us the employee was arrested and booked for Rape of a Child.

What we don't know:

They would not confirm the employee's name or any other information.

A parent we talked with was furious. He said he got word of this incident on social media before ever hearing from the daycare.

In the daycare's letter, they said, "this is an active investigation" and "we are limited in what details we can share."

The director declined an on-camera interview Tuesday, but she was emotional and told us off-camera that in 37 years, they've never had an incident like this.

She also said they've received both concerns and support as police continue to investigate.

At this point, Lake Stevens Police said it appears there was only one person involved in the alleged activity. They also said both the suspect and Country Dawn Preschool and Childcare have been cooperative in the investigation.

Police told us they anticipate sharing more information about the investigation soon.

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