A day care administrator is now on paid leave as authorities continue to investigate child rape allegations at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
Authorities say 21-year-old Kyle Loughlin, a Bridgewater State University student, is accused of raping two young children at the university's day care center, where he worked.
Court documents reveal that workers at the Children's Center at Bridgewater State University started having suspicions something wasn't right in early March, with one teacher telling police she thought teaching assistant Loughlin was "very odd" and was "zeroing in" on one of the boys at the day care.
That worker told police she watched Loughlin's interaction with the child and she had "a gut feeling it wasn't normal." She said she notified the lead teacher as well as the day care's director, Judith Ritacco. A parent also came forward, saying she was noticing strange behavior by her son, who specifically mentioned the name "Kyle."
Loughlin was working at the day care as part of his studies at Bridgewater State.
Police interviewed other teachers, too. They told investigators they did notice Loughlin spending more time with two boys in particular, and they too felt uncomfortable.
"I think it's incredibly disturbing ... especially when you read the reports, and you see the things that this young man said and his conduct at the center and things that he's done and the things that were discovered in the course of the search warrant. Very disturbing stuff," Plymouth County D.A. Tim Cruz said.
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When investigators interviewed the center's director, Ritacco admitted the first teacher had come forward with complaints three weeks prior, with the director seeming to downplay the behavior at the time, saying there was no reason to believe that Loughlin did anything.
As worries mounted, one teacher told police that Ritacco "was on the fence" about what she wanted to do in terms of reporting the incidents. Eventually, Ritacco contacted campus police just this past Saturday.
When investigators spoke with the defendant himself, he admitted to being sexually attracted to little boys, but that it "comes from a place of love."
He told police "the chemicals in his body make him do it."
Loughlin also talked about having an "other personality" and described to police what he had done with two boys on multiple occasions at the center.
Thursday night, the school held a meeting for parents whose children attend the day care.
According to a parent who attended tonight’s meeting, it got very heated, with lots of swearing and screaming. Parents didn’t seem to be happy because they weren’t getting answers.
Dana Mohler-Faria, president of Bridgewater State University, said the center will be closed while the program director is on leave and until the school finds another licensed administrator.
Loughlin also worked as a camp counselor at the MetroWest YMCA's Hopkinton Summer Camp during the summers of 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014, the agency confirmed Friday. The YMCA said it conducted thorough criminal background checks, sex offender registry checks and reference checks on him before he was hired.
"At the MetroWest YMCA, the safety of the children has been and remains the paramount concern," the agency said in a statement. "For more than 50 years, the Metro West YMCA has served our community with distinction and pride as an organization focused on youth development. We are committed to helping kids grow up happy, healthy and strong."
The YMCA said it had no comment on the charges against Loughlin because they are unrelated to his past association with the agency. A letter was sent home to parents on Thursday informing them that Loughlin was a former employee.
