The former daycare director at First United Methodist Church turned herself in at the Christian County Jail just hours after she was indicted by the Christian County Grand Jury Friday in connection to the January child abuse case. According to a Hopkinsville police citation, 32-year old Abby Leach of Hopkinsville was taken into custody at the jail around 1:45 p.m. on an indictment warrant signed by Christian Circuit Judge John Atkins.
Leach and Senior Pastor Paige Williams were indicted Friday on first-degree complicity to criminal abuse of a child under 12-years of age. According to the indictments, both women “intentionally breached their legal duty to protect at least seven children, all under 13 months of age, who were being cared for at the daycare”. The indictments accuse Williams and Leach of failing to prevent a former daycare employee, Allison Simpson from intentionally abusing the children, which might have caused serious physical injury, torture, cruel confinement or cruel punishment.
Simpson is scheduled to be back in court later this month for a pretrial conference after she was indicted by the grand jury in April on two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and second-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12-years of age. An arrest warrant filed by Hopkinsville Police says Simpson allegedly subjected an 8-month old and a 10-month old to cruel care and confinement on January 10 of this year at the First United Methodist Church daycare.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling announced during Simpson’s pretrial conference last month that there will be a superseding indictment to replace the charges lodged against her.
Reports indicate that Senior Pastor Williams has been placed on medical leave.
Following her arrest, Leach posted bail and was released from the Christian County Jail.
