A 20-year-old man appeared in Parma Municipal Court Monday after being arrested and charged with rape for an incident at an in-home day care in Parma Heights involving a 2-year-old, according to a news release from police.
Parma Heights Police said on Jan. 5, they were notified of an incident at an in-home daycare on Big Creek Parkway. An investigation between the Parma Heights Police Department and the FBI led to Conner Matthew Walker's arrest.
According to authorities, Walker was a family friend of the people who operated the day care and was allowed to live there part-time.
"Based on our investigation to this point, it appears the daycare operator had no knowledge of what was going on, and they have been cooperating with us," authorities said.
On Monday, Walker was in Parma Municipal Court for an initial appearance on one count of rape, a first-degree felony, and three counts of gross sexual imposition, third-degree felonies, the news release states.
Authorities said they have reached out to all the families who had children who attended the day care to see if there were any other possible victims.
News 5 reached out to the Ohio Job and Family Services and learned that the day care is not licensed to operate on Big Creek Parkway but is licensed at another location on East Clearview in Seven Hills. They also stated that they were notified by Cuyahoga County that there would be a request to suspend the day care's license.
"I do not have a timeframe for when exactly we might receive that request or how long processing it will take, but it will be a top priority for us," said an employee with Ohio Job and Family Services.
Walker's case was bound over to the Cuyahoga County Grand Jury, where more charges are possible, officials said. He is being held on a $500,000 cash bond.
The investigation is ongoing.
