UPPER GWYNEDD TOWNSHIP, PA — A daycare teacher in Montgomery County physically and emotionally abused children in his care, some of them under the age of 6, police said.
Daniel Patrick Riley, 47, has been charged with felony counts of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, fabricating evidence, and related counts.
Riley worked as an assistant director and toddler room teacher at Little Lambs Daycare, located on 837 Sumneytown Pike in Upper Gwynedd Township. His mother owns the daycare.
An investigation into Riley began in March after victim families and witnesses reported numerous assaults. Police said the incidents included Riley stepping on child's ankle and kicking the child, dragging a child across the floor due to them singing and giving them rugburn, yanking a child up from the floor with enough force to cause a cut, grabbing a child's face under the chin and squeezing their cheeks to get them to be quiet, and shoving a child's face into a desk during a "time out."
Witnesses reported numerous other incidents where Riley where screaming at children, maintaining unreasonable duration of time outs, poking children in the face, and grabbing them in the face, police said.
Riley turned himself into police on Thursday after charges were filed.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services has revoked Little Lamb Daycare's license until they can perform their own investigation.
Bail was set at $25,000 by Judge Maureen Coggins, which Riley did not post. He was booked at Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing is forthcoming.
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