Published on August 3, 2017, 4:30 pm
A Philadelphia pre-school owner has just been arrested and charged with over a dozen child molestation crimes. Two criminal cases were initiated on August 2, 2017 (See Commonwealth v Duncan Round, MC-51-CR-0022974-2017 and MC-51-CR-0022973-2017).
The pre-school owner, Duncan Round, faces very serious allegations. The most serious charges include:
- rape (forcible compulsion),
- involuntary deviate sexual intercourse (forcible compulsion),
- unlawful (sexual) contact with minors,
- statutory sexual assault, and
- sexual assault.
Round also faces multiple charges of endangering the welfare of minors, corruption of minors, indecent exposure, indecent assault, and reckless endangerment.
Related: Firm Files Child Molestation Lawsuit Against Delaware Daycare Center
Duncan Round owns Sprouts Childrens Center which operates as a children’s gym and pre-school and is located at 9th and South Street, just south of the Whole Foods in South Philadelphia.
According to a Philadelphia Police Department news conference, the Special Victims Unit got involved in July after the Department of Human Services received a report of sex assault at the pre-school. The day after receiving the report, Philadelphia law enforcement executed a search warrant at the pre-school and recovered physical evidence. Round was then arrested. Video of the news conference is available on the 6abc.com website news post, Duncan Round, day care owner accused of child sex assault, posts bail (accessed on August 3, 2017).
According to police, the victims are a boy and girl, both age 5. They were interviewed by child sex abuse victim experts at the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance. Additional victims are being sought, although the police have indicated they have no evidence additional victims were involved.
This isn’t the first time a pre-school in the Philadelphia region has been the subject of a criminal investigation. Earlier this year, an investigation into allegations of child molestation began involving a Christian pre-school in Hainesport, NJ. See Child Molestation Allegations at ReJoyce Christian School in Hainesport, New Jersey.
Parents of children who attended the Sprouts daycare center or gym are invited to contact our sex abuse victims’ lawyers and advocates at 800-220-7600.
More Philadelphia Daycare Abuse Posts:
- Is a day care center liable for sex abuse by an employee? [Reports of sex abuse at daycare centers have steadily increased. Under what circumstances will a daycare center be liable when an employee sexually abuses a child?]
- Tips to Keep Your Child Safe from Sex Abuse at Day Care [Read these tips for parents to identify sexual abuse of their child.]