Fort Myer Childcare Worker Charged with Assault

A caregiver at Ft. Myer in Arlington has been charged with assault, according to a report from WUSA-9. The woman, who worked at the child development center at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, is Va Nessa Taylor, 47 of Temple Hills, Md.

Three childcare workers faced similar charges there in 2012. An Army investigation of Fort Myer’s hiring practices showed that 31 of the 130 Cody Child Development Center employees had criminal records, according to Military.com News. The charges included 14 for assault, six for drug use, and two for sexual assault in the fourth degree – a misdemeanor that could involve public exposure.

Justice Department officials say she is "charged with simple assault against a child under 16 years of age at a facility located within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States."

An employee reported Jan. 29 that Taylor withheld food from a 2-year-old during lunchtime at the Cody Child Development Center. After officials reviewed surveillance video, they saw that Taylor had hit and pushed four children, ranging in age from 18 months to 2 years, WUSA reported. The first incident happened Nov. 26, 2013, authorities said.

The children were not physically injured, say authorities.

She was removed from the position the next day. 

The crime is considered a Class A misdemeanor, and Taylor could face up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine if convicted.

The Cody Child Development Center is the largest in the Department of Defense, serving approximately 350 children, and serves military and civilian families who work at the Pentagon, as well as Forts Myer-Henderson and McNair.