Worker at military day care charged with abuse

WASHINGTON — Prosecutors have charged a Maryland woman with misdemeanor assault for allegedly hitting young children as a caregiver at a military day care center in Arlington, Va.

Va Nessa Taylor, 47, of Temple Hills, Md., has been charged with a simple assault against a child under 16 years of age at a military facility, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The offense is a Class A misdemeanor under federal law. If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

According to a criminal complaint, Taylor was seen withholding food from a two- year-old during lunch time at the Cody Child Development Center on Joint Base-Myer Henderson Hall in Arlington. Officials looked at surveillance footage and found four instances in which Taylor appeared to hit four children within her care.

The children ranged in ages from 18 months to two years, and the observed conduct occurred from Nov. 26, 2013 to Jan. 29. Taylor was removed from her duties of supervising children on Jan. 30.

WTOP’s Kathy Stewart contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

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