A pair of workers at a Pennsylvania facility for disabled teens were arrested and charged with staging boxing matches and fights between the kids, a report says.
Exton, Pennsylvania, police arrested Anthony Merrick, 25, and Rayne Portella, 24, for encouraging the teenagers in their charge to fight each other in a facility-wide fight club, WPVI ABC 6 reported.
Police were alerted to the situation after they were sent a video showing residents of the Devereux Kanner Center in West Whiteland Township in Chester County engaging in boxing matches.
One video depicted a 13-year-old boy with developmental disabilities fighting another teen in a make-shift boxing ring as the suspects urged the kids to keep fighting.
“We see them punching each other in a boxing match. They were placed head-to-head, facing each other and they kind of tapped gloves and start fighting,” Exton Police Det. Scott Pezick told the media. “One of them, you can see blood coming from him.”
The video also shows one of the suspects using a cell phone to record the altercation. Police said their investigation found that the fight videos were shared to Snapchat.
Officers also noted that a father of one of the teens reported the fights to police.
“Not only did they not report it, but they were also encouraging it,” Det. Pezick added. “They had a duty to protect these children, and they are not just children, they are children with developmental disabilities.”
The Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health released a statement:
In the time since this incident, we have had a series of very productive and positive meetings with local law enforcement. In fact, we provided law enforcement with the security video of the incident which they relied on to file these charges. The use of security cameras is not required in our programs, but we have proactively implemented a policy of employing video technology as an added safety measure. We are one of the few agencies in the state to do so. “Our staff receives comprehensive training before working in our programs, as well as regular child abuse clearances and FBI screenings. On an ongoing basis, they are provided with re-trainings on safe and effective practices that support our philosophy of care
The center has had other troubles recently.
In November five members of the facility’s staff were arrested in connection with abuse of clients.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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