Daytona Beach, FL - A Daytona Beach woman is facing multiple charges after she failed to report child abuse and lied to investigators about the child running away—which she knew they planned to do.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) says 38-year-old Deirdre Wade was the case manager for a child who investigators say was drugged and sexually battered during a runaway episode."
According to investigators, the child approached Wade about the attack and told her that they had plans to run away—and neither the attack nor the intent to run away was reported to law enforcement until about a month later.
Per a report from FDLE, Wade was complicit in the child running away, stating that she tried to cover it up. Investigators say that involved failing to file and update timely missing child reports and lying to investigators. Agents also discovered that the child was living in a different county with an adult who was not cleared for foster care.
Wade was arrested and charged with felony child neglect, failure to report child abuse and providing a false report to law enforcement, which landed her in Volusia County Jail on a $2,500 bond. She has bonded out of jail.
FDLE added that the Flagler County Sheriff's Office assisted in the investigation and the State Attorney's Office will prosecute the case.
