The Commonwealth wants to try all four suspects charged in connection with alleged child abuse at the First United Methodist Church daycare at the same time.
Allison Simpson, who formerly worked at the daycare, is indicted on 30 counts of criminal child abuse. All 30 counts are alleged to have happened between December 19 of 2018 and January 18 of 2019. Eleven of the counts are against the same infant and a total of eight children are listed as victims in all of the allegations.
All of the counts allege Simpson placed the victims “in a situation that may cause serious physical injury, causing torture, cruel confinement or cruel punishment.”
Former daycare director Abby Leach and former pastor Paige Williams are charged with complicity to child abuse and another former worker—Nina Morgan—is charged with two counts of criminal child abuse.
Indictments against Rev. Williams and Leach allege they ‘intentionally breached their legal duty to protect’ seven children under the age of 13 months by failing to prevent Simpson from intentionally abusing those children.
An April 26 trial that had been scheduled won’t be possible due to COVID-19 protocols and Judge John Atkins had hoped to reschedule it for the first week of May, though at least one attorney had scheduling issues that couldn’t be worked through.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling stated his intention to file a motion to join all four cases for trial and notes there are pending offers to at least some of the suspects.
Judge Atkins set another hearing for April 8 at 1 p.m. and says he’ll consider setting a new trial date and will hear the motion to join the cases.
All four suspects have pleaded not guilty in the case.