COALITION AGAINST INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD ABUSE
 HEADLINE NEWS                                                                                                                                                                                                             CAICA EN FRANÇAIS
 

CAICA     HOME   │   NEWS  │  PROGRAM NEWS  │  STORIES │  DEATHS  │   WWASPS   │  PARENTS' CORNER  │  MISSION  │ SITE MAP │  LINKS & RESOURCES
  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

              AUTISM  │ LITIGATION  │  LEGISLATION  │ JUVENILE JUSTICE  │ MENTAL HEALTH │ LIGHTER SIDE │  EN FRANCAIS  │ COMMENTS  │ LIST SERVE  │  BLOGS  
 

 

The Washington Times

5 center ex-staffers indicted on sex charges

Published September 1, 2006
 
CHARLOTTESVILLE (AP) -- Five former employees of a treatment center for troubled teens have been indicted on sexual abuse charges, following a six-month investigation into charges of sexual misconduct at the facility, officials said.

A grand jury last week indicted Bianca Nicole Johnson, the former director of operations for the Whisper Ridge Behavioral Health System, on a charge of taking custodial indecent liberties with a child.

Brian Antwann Vaughan, a former mental health specialist at the facility, was charged with two counts of custodial sexual abuse.

Whisper Ridge provides psychiatric treatment for 13- to 17-year-olds with mental health or drug abuse problems.

The names of the three others charged in the case -- a man and two women -- are being withheld because they have not yet been arrested, Charlottesville city spokesman Ric Barrick said yesterday.

The man was indicted on a charge of custodial sexual abuse on a male resident, while one of the women was indicted on two counts of contributing to the abuse or neglect of a minor, and two counts of failure to report suspected abuse and neglect, Mr. Barrick said.

The other woman faces a charge of contributing to an inappropriate romantic relationship and correspondence with a resident.

The charges against Miss Johnson, 32, stem from a graphic sexual proposal written to a 15-year-old male resident at the center in December, Mr. Barrick said.

"I would like to say that I'm absolutely innocent and that people in the community that know me and know my reputation will support me in these proceedings," Miss Johnson said. "And I hope that the judicial system of being innocent until proven guilty is factual."

Mr. Vaughan, 32, was accused of having sexual contact with two female residents around December and January, Mr. Barrick said. The residents are now 15 and 17.

Mr. Vaughan did not return a call seeking comment yesterday.

Miss Johnson and Mr. Vaughan were arrested this week and later released on bail.

If convicted, Miss Vaughan could face up to 10 years in prison, while Mr. Johnson faces up to five years behind bars.

City police began investigating reports of misconduct at Whisper Ridge in January after receiving a phone call reporting abuse at the facility, Mr. Barrick said.

Whisper Ridge CEO Taylor Davis said none of those charged is still employed at the facility. He declined to comment further.

State authorities have investigated the facility several times since it opened in 2001.

In February, officials with the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services said that they planned to revoke the center's operating license because of charges of abuse and human rights violations.

The facility pledged to correct the issues, and avoided closure in June when it signed an agreement with state authorities, paid $30,000 in fines and increased staffing levels.

"They are being reviewed all the time," said Leslie Anderson, director of the office of licensing for the mental health department.

____________________

More articles:

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834367174&path=!news

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834400077&path=

http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/2404006.html

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149188629824&path=: ...to monitor quality improvements, the reduction in the use of restraints and the facility’s overall compliance with the agreement.

http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/2668071.html

http://www.raymondjames.com/pdfs/company/PSYS030706b_1503.pdf#search='whisper%20ridge%20behavioral%20health%20abuse' (Whisper Ridge was previously owned by the Brown Schools, which is the same company that owned the facility where Chase Moody died following restraint)

http://www.cvillenews.com/?cat=0

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER, WARNINGS, AND NOTICE TO READERS: This website does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, content collectively, the "Materials") contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the services contained on this website (the "Service"). None of the contributors, sponsors, administrators or anyone else connected with this website in any way whatsoever can be responsible for the appearance of any inaccurate or libelous information or for your use of the information contained in these web pages. All information provided using this website is only intended to be general summary information to the public.

FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages may contain copyrighted (© ) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

REFERRALS: CAICA is not a referral agency. CAICA does not refer to or promote facilities or transport companies for children or teens. CAICA warns parents that the parent pay / parent choice programs ie. Residential Treatment Centers, Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Behavior Modification Programs, Christian Programs, Positive Peer Culture Programs, etc., are not regulated by the Federal Government and that it is a "Buyer Beware" industry. CAICA provides the following for parents: Message to Parents, Help for Distraught and Desperate Parents, and Questions to Ask and Warning Signs.

© 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008