Parents worried after Modesto autism therapy center employee accused of sexually abusing child
By Carolina Estrada
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MODESTO, California (KCRA) — After a now-former employee at a Modesto center that helps children with autism was accused of sexually abusing a child at the workplace, parents Yesenia and Nick Garza are worried about their son.
The Kendall Center offers behavioral and language therapy for children like the Garzas’ 6-year-old son Rafael. The Garzas say Rafael is moderately autistic and non-verbal. He began speech therapy at the center from August 2022 to November 2023.
When 35-year-old Sean Dalton Marquez was arrested on charges related to lewd acts on a child younger than 14 years of age, the parents said the center informed them that Marquez worked with their son.
“And that the individual that was arrested for the incident had been one-on-one with my child on four separate occasions,” Yesenia said.
In a statement, the Kendall Center said, “As soon as we were made aware of the incident, we took immediate action to ensure everyone’s safety, including contacting local law enforcement and terminating the employee.”
The Modesto Police Department said its detectives are investigating and interviewing those who may have been affected by the incident.
The Garzas say that included their son.
“But my little boy can’t say, ‘This man hurt me. He can’t tell me that. So what justice is he going to get?” Yesenia said.
As of Tuesday, Marquez remained in Stanislaus County Jail, with a bail set at $150,000, according to court records. Marquez’s next court date is set for Jan. 8, 2024.
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