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UPDATE: Allegations of sexual encounter close daycare

Friday, February 8, 2008
By ADAM COATES, Assistant Editor

An allegation of inappropriate touching done by one child to another has forced the owners of Ju Ju's Daycare Center at Cloverdale to voluntarily shut down while an investigation takes place.

Putnam County Prosecutor's Investigator Charlie Bollinger told the BannerGraphic Friday that a juvenile male -- not a client of the daycare -- was accused of inappropriately touching a younger child who was enrolled at the daycare while the pair were riding the school bus to the facility on Wednesday.

The owner, Julie Hoffa, voluntarily closed down the facility while the police investigation continues, Bollinger said.

"There are no children at the daycare right now," Bollinger said.

A relative of a child who attended the daycare said there were about 15 children enrolled there.

Bollinger, along with the Cloverdale Police Department, spent Friday morning interviewing the parties involved in the case and expect the investigation to wrap up quickly.

"I don't expect it to be a lengthy investigation," Bollinger said.

Once the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the prosecutor for his review and may ultimately wind up with juvenile probation, Bollinger said.

It was not clear if the facility would re-open.

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  • I would like to say that this is a tragedy and that the people of this paper should be a little more repectfull for the owner of JU JU'S daycare. They are very heartbroken that this has happened. Yes I know that every parent that had a child enrolled in the daycare should be made aware of what had happened but there are ways to go about being respectfull to the owners and to the parent's. This is going to cause humilliation on both parties. I have children of my own and I would NOT drag them out in front of the eye of the media. As a parent your first priority is to protect your child, so protect them by not putting them in front of a camera or in front of a reporter. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

    -- Posted by bnskelton on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 1:34 PM

  • I completely agree. I know the Hoffa family very well and I'm sure this is an extremely difficult time for them. They are the type of people who will take every precaution to assure the safety of all children in their environment. To folks that have negative comments about this family please keep your hurtful words to yourself. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victim of this situation including the Hoffa family.

    -- Posted by cloverdalefriend on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 2:21 PM

  • If it happened on the school bus, why shut down the daycare? Sounds like the school system should be looking into this also.

    -- Posted by purple_heat on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 3:24 PM

  • If you can read between the lines, you can figure out the reason they have closed.

    I know the answer, but, in all due respect, it is an even bigger tragedy than you can imagine for both families and the less said in blogs, the better.

    I know Julie and Gary from childhood and have high regard for both of them.

    -- Posted by South of 40 on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 4:38 PM

  • I too am very confused about this story. From the first article it said, 'a relative of a child at the daycare center contacted the BannerGraphic.' Why would someone want to bring the media into this? Unless it is to hurt those around them is my guess! This is how gossip starts and it is obvious this person has no morals!

    -- Posted by Sunflowermel on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 6:33 PM

  • The Hoffa family deserves respect and privacy not gossip and rumors.

    -- Posted by Belle on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 8:05 PM

  • Such allegations of such a good family is outrageous to not only the family, but to the community and children enrolled in the daycare. I personally thought that our newspaper was more upstanding than this. To post such an article without regard for the families and children of the daycare is in my mind a tragedy in itself. I am disappointed and outraged in the way the "media" has handled this situation.

    -- Posted by sarah on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 8:15 PM

  • I personally had my children enrolled in JuJu's Daycare. It was an excellent child care facility. Each child was loved and very well taken care of. Everyone needs to pray for the Hoffa's and the other family involved.

    -- Posted by hmnek on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 9:59 PM

  • I personally have known the Hoffa's all my life, they watched me when I was little as well as my other 2 sisters. All of these alligations are rediculous!! I know the whole story and I feel so bad for the Hoffa's right now, they all need our prayers....it is rediculous to call the paper and the news!!! it had nothing to do with the daycare, so why bring the daycare into this!!! This happens all the time at different schools, why bring this family into this?? They did nothing wrong!! I love the Hoffa's and I pray for them and hope all this is over with soon!

    -- Posted by cdalefriend on Fri, Feb 8, 2008, at 10:25 PM

  • Why is it when this happens in the public school corporation's, they are not shut down?

    For those instances, CPS handles it through each individual family involved and no one goes to the media with the story. Why would someone want to expose innocent children?

    I pray for all involved. A special prayer for the perpetrator, who has been taught this ill behavior somewhere.

    -- Posted by WONDER on Sat, Feb 9, 2008, at 1:44 PM

  • This did not need to be spread over the paper. All families were notified as soon as the incident was reported. Exposing all the children to this is pathetic and will only make thier healing more difficult. The allegations are made towards a child also-so it is not sick act of the day care. Let's hope all get the help and punishment needed to never have this happen again.

    -- Posted by momoffour on Sat, Feb 9, 2008, at 4:05 PM

  • media = guilty until proven innocent

    -- Posted by mike andrews on Fri, Feb 15, 2008, at 1:53 AM
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