- Maria Childers, a transgender daycare worker in Kentucky, reached a plea deal to avoid jail time for sexually assaulting a baby and bragging about it to her co-workers.
- In November 2022, Childers assaulted the girl while changing her diaper and then told a colleague: “She likes it.” She just made his day.
- Judge Joseph Roark sentenced Childers to a 12-month sentence, but withheld the prison sentence and granted him probation for six months.
A transgender Kentucky daycare worker has reached a plea deal and avoided jail after sexually assaulting a baby while changing his diaper and bragging about it to a colleague.
Maria Childers was arrested in February 2023 for inappropriately touching a baby and making inappropriate comments while changing the baby’s diaper, reported WPSD Local 6.
Investigators had received an anonymous tip that Childers had sexually abused an infant while working at Explore Learning Academy in Paducah in November 2022.
Court records obtained by Reduxx revealed that Childers assaulted the girl while changing her diaper and then told a colleague: “She likes it.” She just made his day,” using additional language that is too disturbing to reproduce.
Paducah Police and the Kentucky Department of Community Services interviewed a witness who corroborated the details of the tip.
Maria Childers (pictured), a transgender daycare worker in Kentucky, reached a plea deal and avoided jail after sexually assaulting a baby while changing his diaper.
Before his arrest, a daycare facilitator told police they were aware of Childers’ actions and gave him a “writeup” for the inappropriate comments.
At first, Childers denied changing the baby’s diaper, but later changed that claim after officers read a text Childers sent to the daycare director confirming that she had changed the diaper, police said.
She was initially charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 12 and booked into the McCracken County Jail on $100,000 bail.
Childers then hired attorney Madison Leach, a local transactivist attorney, who made a motion to have his bond reduced saying that Childers did not have access to estrogen while in solitary confinement.
Judge Joseph Roark (pictured) sentenced Childers to a 12-month sentence but withheld the jail term and granted him probation for six months. If he complies with the conditions, he may not face any jail time.
She was released from prison in January and a year after her arrest, Childers reached a deal with prosecutors and, in exchange for a guilty plea, the charges were reduced to class A misdemeanor sexual misconduct.
Judge Joseph Roark sentenced Childers to a 12-month sentence, but retained the jail term and granted him probation for six months. If he complies with the conditions, he may not face any jail time.
Leach said the conditions include that Childers have no contact with children and stay away from Explore Learning Academy.
