Child Abuse Charges Mount for Missouri Daycare Owners Joshua Teter and Faith Walker

 


In Missouri, a couple who owns a daycare now faces multiple child abuse charges. This comes after one of the owners was already in trouble for allegedly breaking a 1-year-old's leg when the child wouldn't clean up a toy.


The first set of charges were against 28-year-old Joshua Teter, who was accused of breaking the toddler's leg while at the daycare run by his fiancée, Faith Walker. But it didn't stop there. This week, Teter was hit with more charges related to an incident from November 1, 2022.

In this new case, it's alleged that Teter abused a 3-year-old who was crying after being dropped off by his grandmother. Walker couldn't calm the child down, and when Teter tried, the toddler spat in his direction. In response, Teter is accused of hitting the child so hard that the little one was knocked off his feet.

Walker didn't witness the initial smack, but she later saw Teter holding onto the boy's arm as they walked together. The child fell, causing his arm to jerk erratically while still in Teter's grip. X-rays taken later showed a fractured upper arm.


Interestingly, there was no registered daycare under Walker's name in Missouri, and court records only described her as the owner, with Teter as her fiancé.

The initial investigation began when the Macon County Sheriff’s Office received reports of repeated and suspicious injuries occurring at the daycare run by Walker. A hotline call alerted them to the femur-breaking incident. The family reported that their son had a spiral fracture of the femur.

Teter admitted to police that he caused the break, stating that the child was not properly putting away a carpet square, and his frustration led him to yank the boy forcefully to the floor. The force of the pull resulted in the femur fracture. Teter also confessed to having a history of anger issues. Walker allegedly knew about these issues but didn't know how to deal with them.


Currently, Teter is held on a $500,000 bond at the Macon County Jail and faces two child abuse counts. Walker is held on a $250,000 bond and faces two child abuse counts and two counts of second-degree endangerment of a child's welfare.

In another development, a father from Florida finds himself in jail after allegedly shaking his 3-month-old son so forcefully that it's akin to a car crash. Now, over eight months later, the little boy, who is almost a year old, is still in the hospital on a ventilator, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. See detailed story here.


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