Crime & Safety

Updated: Alleged Victim of Molestation not Affiliated with YMCA

Jeremy Shawn Stockton, 29, who worked among developmentally disabled kids from the YMCA, but was not an employee, was arrested on suspicion of lewd acts with a child under the age of 14. The alleged victim was from another facility.

Updated Tuesday: Los Angeles Police Det. Casey Cox confirmed Tuesday the autistic child who accused Jeremy Stockton of molestation is not one of the kids from the YMCA's summer camp. Stockton, an in-home care giver who worked for Wellspring, and was hired by one family to interacted with that family's child at the YMCA camp last summer, passed a background check through Wellspring, which requires employees to be fingerprinted.

A man who has worked among developmentally disabled children during a summer camp has been arrested on suspicion of allegedly molesting an autistic child from another agency, police said Monday.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Thursday charged Jeremy Shawn Stockton, 29, with multiple counts of lewd acts with a child under the age of 14 , according to the media relations office of the Los Angeles Police Department. He was arrested the previous day.

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Stockton, a part-time employee of Wellspring, 16713 Roscoe Blvd., Los Angeles, worked as an in-home care giver, said director of client services John Steinreich, who pointed out all of his employees, including Stockton, are screened and well-vetted prior to hire.

"We don’t tolerate this; we don’t endorse it; and we don't bring on people we consider a risk,'' Steinreich said, adding that Stockton has been placed on suspension.

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In addition to Wellspring, Stockton also has worked at Valley Therapeutic Recreational Center in North Hollywood, the news release said.

Kim Beattie, director of development for the YMCA, said a family hired Stockton in 2009 to shadow their child during a two-week YMCA summer camp, which was held off grounds. Stockton did not participate in any of the camp's activities, but assisted and looked out for that one child, she said. 

Every employee and volunteer is vetted with background checks at the YMCA, but he was neither, Beattie said.

According to the LAPD, an autistic child came forward to authorities with details of the alleged molestation, the news release says. 

Authorities continue to investigate whether there are additional victims, the news release states. Anyone with information about this case, or any unreported cases, are asked to call LAPD Devonshire Division Detective Pikor at (818) 832-0985, or Detective Cox at (818) 832-0978.

Stockton is being held at Los Angeles County Jail on $1.45 million bail.


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