Former daycare worker and man charged with child rape waive preliminary hearings
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 7:42 pm
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/fo ... r-AA1qNVAz
A former daycare worker and a Cumberland County man accused of child rape waived preliminary hearings on Wednesday.
Court documents allege that Jamie Souders, 42, and Morgan Rothenhoefer, 24, involved an 8-year-old boy in sex acts that were videotaped. Both of them were arrested last week and are facing a number of charges, including child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse involving a child and other offenses.
Prosecutors would not disclose the connection between the child and the adults but acknowledged there is only one known victim who has been identified at this time.
The pair waived their hearings on Wednesday, advancing it to the county court system. Arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 25. Bail for Souders was set at $1 million and $750,000 for Rothenhoefer.
Investigators were initially contacted by a cloud data storage service through a cyber-tip about possible child pornography that led them to Souders. Police wrote in charging documents that Souders possessed child sexual abuse materials, including the videos involving the sex acts involving the child and Rothenhoefer.
During interviews with investigators, Souders acknowledged what he did was wrong and that he had a pornography addiction and had a sexual attraction to naked children, according to court documents. Police said Souders also told them he had known Rothenhoefer for many years and they had a sexual relationship.
Rothenhoefer was recently fired from a job she held at the Tender Years Child Care Center in Silver Spring Township after charges were brought forward last week.
The daycare's legal counsel said in a statement that Rothenhoefer had passed background checks and was hired in August but terminated immediately after her arrest. She always worked alongside another adult teacher present with children, according to the statement.
Tender Years also said it was advised the alleged actions related to the criminal charges occurred in February or March, months before her employment and did not involve any children under its care.