A 35-year-old ex-employee of the California based Kendall Center, which focuses on behavioral therapy for kids with autism, is accused of an offense against a minor, The Modesto Bee reported.
Sean Dalton Marquez was arraigned on Nov. 14 at Stanislaus Superior Court, and faces charges for an alleged lewd act on a child under 14, according to The Modesto Bee. (RELATED: Center Created To Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Hires Professor Who Left Last Job After Defending Pedophilia)
Employee of Modesto program for autistic kids is charged with lewd act on child https://t.co/tCGP2IhMpa
— The Modesto Bee (@modbee) November 24, 2023
“There is probably more,” Robert Vera, whose son is undergoing therapy at Kendall Center, told the The Modesto Bee. “These are children who can’t defend themselves. They are children who can’t speak.”
Sydney Neuhaus, an attorney representing Therapeutic Pathways — the umbrella organization overseeing the center, emphasized their commitment to the well-being of their patients and detailed their prompt response.
“As soon as we were made aware of the incident, Therapeutic Pathways took immediate action to ensure everyone’s safety, including contacting local law enforcement and terminating the employee,” the statement read, per The Modesto Bee. “We have extensive safety and conduct protocols that we strictly enforce and that each of our employees are trained on and expected to uphold.”
Marquez has pleaded not guilty and will face a further case management hearing on Jan. 8, the outlet noted.