LYNCHBURG, VA – An anonymous call about child abuse is what led to the arrest of Shannon Couch at the Caterpillar Clubhouse in Lynchburg.
10 News sat down with a parent whose child was in couch’s class who says she never saw it coming.
“There are so many questions going through my head as a mom, knowing that my kid was in that room. Did anything happen to my kid while she was in there? Did anything physical happen to my kid?” the mom said.
The mom we spoke with asked to remain anonymous for the sake of her daughter.
She says her infant daughter moved into Couch’s class at the beginning of this year.
“I wouldn’t have thought her to be the abuser of the daycare,” the mom said.
The mom is also a former employee at the Caterpillar Clubhouse, working side by side with Couch.
“I didn’t notice any red flags or anything. I don’t think this started until recently,” she said.
We spoke with Lynchburg Police Detective Randall Williams, who’s investigating the case.
“Our criminal investigations division uncovered numerous pieces of evidence that supported the claims made by the anonymous report,” Williams said.
He says with cases involving daycares popping up recently, it’s important for parents to pay attention.
“It’s important for parents to remember they have rights as they can exercise at parents and to just be vigilant in making sure that their children are safe,” he said.
The mom we spoke with tells us the facility does not have cameras in the classroom - something she wants to see changed.
“I think that’s a number one priority at a daycare. If there was something that I could change up there, it would be getting them to put cameras in the classrooms. Because you don’t know what happens,” she said.
Overall, she wants accountability and answers.
“I really thought that I would be okay with her being with my kid. Then you come to find out they’re someone who’s not what I thought they were going to be,” she said.
We reached out to the daycare and Director Krysten Hunt who said: “This is an ongoing investigation. We have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities.”
