GREENFIELD, Ind. — The owner of a child care center in Greenfield is charged with failing to report an alleged molesting incident by one of her workers.
The charges come after the man involved in the incident went on to allegedly molest other children in the community at another child care job.
Court records say that a now-6-year-old girl told the owner of Shining Stars Child Care Academy that Jericho Johnson "was touching her private parts" in March 2023. The court records indicate that Shining Stars owner Kelley Basey investigated the allegation herself, reviewed surveillance video and met with the child with her parents, but the incident was never reported to the Department of Child Services.
Johnson left Shining Stars last summer but went on to work for the Greenfield YMCA after-school program, where more children reported inappropriate touching. He is now charged with 11 counts of child molesting, confinement and battery involving the girl at Shining Stars and three more children in the after-school programs.
13News interviewed Basey on Feb. 27, when Johnson was first charged with child molesting. In that interview, she never mentioned any concerns or issues with Johnson while he worked for Shining Stars.
"We had no red flags,” Basey said. “All federal and state background checks were done. We're all in shock as well. I shed many tears for many reasons. So, he's been gone from here for eight months, left on his own."
Basey said in that February interview that her staff was mad that someone who once worked for them had allegedly violated children somewhere else.
“We've had lots of conversations among ourselves, believe me, my core teachers,” Basey said. “And we've been here a long time, 17 years in this community. We're strong together. We have amazingly supportive parents, and we have precautions here in place."
Basey faces misdemeanor charges of failure to make report and reckless supervision by a child care provider.
Basey said on the phone Friday that her attorney advised her not to comment, but she did say, "It will all be resolved in favor of us."
She made her initial court appearance and posted $400 cash bond Friday. Basey is due back in court June 6.