A 16-year-old boy was arrested by Pasco County deputies Tuesday on charges that he raped a 3-year-old child at an in-home daycare.

  • Teen accused of sexual battery on child
  • Pasco deputies say 3-year-old attended in-home daycare
  • Daycare closed for next 90 days for investigation

The daycare is in a Trinity subdivision and is called Jacque’s Teddy Bear Child Care,  licensed as Thomas Gibson Family Day Care Home and owned by Jaqueline Thomas-Gibson, according to the Sheriff’s office.

Pasco Sheriff’s Office Major Mel Eakley said that seven children were enrolled in the daycare when they started investigating a disturbing report.

“The disclosure came from a 3-year-old child to her parent that there had been some inappropriate activity while she was attending this day care,” Eakley said.

Investigators interviewed the girl and teen June 9. The girl told them the teen sexually battered her during nap time at the day care, when the children were unattended by adults. She said it had happened on more than one occasion.

“Either the daycare owner or her employee at some point, left these children unsupervised or out of sight, to allow this to have taken place,” Eakley said.

This isn’t the first time the 16-year-old boy was investigated by the Sheriff’s Office. In 2013, when he was 13 years old, he was accused of similar abuse against a four-year-old girl. The teen was never charged during that investigation.

“That was a collaborative decision made between the state attorney’s office and the victim’s parents,” Eakley said. “It was the best way to resolve the investigation.”

Currently, the teen is behind bars, facing one charge of sexual battery. At this point, he has not been charged as an adult. There could be more charges in this most recent case. Out of the seven children at the daycare, three more have come forward. The sheriff’s office is also investigating the daycare itself for possible neglect.

The Department of Children and Families said the daycare is closed for at least the next 90 days, pending the investigation. The sheriff’s office asks anyone with any information about any other possible inappropriate behavior to contact them.

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