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Daycare owner charged with failing to report sex crimes against kids

Posted at 1:10 PM, Jul 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-11 13:10:41-04

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss. — A Mississippi daycare owner was charged with crimes against children after she allegedly failed to report that her husband was sexually abusing kids at her daycare.

Sherry Westmoreland was arrested on Monday. She was charged with six counts of failing to make a mandatory report and six counts of contributing to the delinquency or neglect of a minor, according to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department.

Sherry Westmoreland’s husband, John Westmoreland, was charged earlier this month after he allegedly touched at least one child for lustful purposes. All of the incidents reportedly happened at Sherry’s daycare facility.

According to the sheriff’s department, the case began when one of the victims went home and told her parents that she was being molested by John Westmoreland. The Lafayette County Sheriff was notified and started their investigation.

Other victims — all girls between 6 and 12 years old — started coming forward with their complaints.

During the investigation, the department determined that Sherry Westmoreland knew that John Westmoreland was molesting the girls and didn’t report it to law enforcement officers.

She was taken to the Lafayette County Detention Center where she was given a $500,000 bond.

Her husband was given a $750,000 bond.