SC man accused of molesting children at illegal day care. There may be more victims
Note: This story has been updated with comments from the S.C. Department of Social Services.
A 30-year-old Greenwood man is accused of inappropriately touching multiple children in an unlicensed day care that had been operating in a person’s home, according to the Greenwood Police Department.
Police believe there could be more victims, said Jonathan Link, public information officer for the Greenwood Police Department.
Cerome Emilio Cartledge was arrested last week and charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, court records show. The allegations stem from incidents in 2016 and 2017 with two children. Officers obtained arrest warrants for Cartledge in late July 2017 and posted his photo to Facebook, asking for the public’s help in finding him, according to the Index-Journal, Greenwood’s daily newspaper..
A tipster contacted police in February, nearly two years after the start of the investigation, to report Cartledge working at a restaurant in Massachusetts, the newspaper reported.
The unlicensed day care was operating in a home in the area of Foundry and Blyth roads in Greenwood, Link said. Cartledge is related to the owners of the day care, reports show.
Cartledge may have had contact with other children between 2016 and 2017, Link said. Officials are asking parents who may have gone to this day care to have a conversation with their children to determine if anything may have happened. They will receive the help they need as well as justice in this case, he said.
Greenwood police declined to identify the people behind the unlicensed day care, saying “we have to respect the privacy of someone who is essentially a witness in this case” and releasing more information could jeopardize the case in court. Officials also declined to provide the home address of where this incident occurred. The owners cooperated with police and seemed unaware of inappropriate behavior, the Index Journal reported.
Greenwood police notified the S.C. Department of Social Services, the state agency that oversees child care licensing, about the case, Link said. Social Services sent the owner a certified letter to cease operation, and an inspector made subsequent visits to ensure the owner had followed the order, said Marilyn Matheus, a public information officer with Social Services. She would not identify the owner.
The agency relies on complaints from members of the community to find out someone is “operating illegally,” she said.
“In cooperation with law enforcement, DSS can and does take action against people who are operating without a license when we are made aware of the situation,” Matheus said.
The State Media Co. spent nearly a year investigating South Carolina’s in-home day cares and found a loosely regulated industry where children are exposed to unsanitary and unsafe environments, sometimes leading to injury or death. Among the findings:
- Babies left with home day care providers continue to die, despite increased state oversight to ensure providers are following safe sleep practices.
- Social Services sometimes fails to share information within its own department, potentially putting children at risk.
- Roach infestations, overcrowded homes and other dangers lurk in some S.C. home day cares.
The State’s analysis only included day cares that Social Services knew about. Unlicensed and unregistered day cares present a host of other problems for the agency as well as parents.
Caregivers are required to have their Social Services license or registration posted in the home in plain view. Parents can check the status of their day care provider on the Social Services website, or by calling the central office number at 803-898-9020.
This story was originally published April 10, 2019 at 1:37 PM.
