Caregiver at Florida facility for people with disabilities is arrested for allegedly impregnating client with mental capacity of 'a small child' after DNA tests showed he was the father
- Willie Shorter, 58, worked as caregiver at the Woodsmere Group Home in Florida
- A client under his care became pregnant in January 2015 and gave birth in May
- He was arrested for allegedly impregnating her after a DNA sample was taken
A caregiver at a facility for people with disabilities has been arrested for allegedly impregnating a woman with the mental capacity 'of a small child'.
Willie Shorter, 58, was responsible for the care of people with developmental disabilities at the Woodsmere Estates Group Home in Rockledge, Florida.
But staff at the home discovered one of Shorter's 13 clients, who has the 'mental capacity of a small child', was pregnant in January 2015.
The child was born in May and was adopted by the woman's family, the NYDailyNews said.
Willie Shorter, 58, was arrested for allegedly impregnating a woman with the 'mental capacity of a small child' four years ago
Woodsmere contacted Rockledge Police after the woman became pregnant, but there was not enough initial evidence to demand a DNA sample from Shorter.
Two men were also identified as potential fathers and were questioned, police said.
But in April last year, the woman told police that Shorter had inappropriately touched her when she lived at the Woodsmere home.
Shorter, who had previously denied having any sexual contact with her, then voluntarily submitted a DNA sample.
Investigators say results from the test indicated a 99.99 per cent match between Shorter and the baby.
Share this article
He was arrested for the lewd and lascivious battery of a disabled person on Wednesday.
David Cooke, the CEO of Bridges, which owns Woodsmere Estates Group Home, told Florida Today: 'We've been in Brevard for 62 years serving people with disabilities. We are absolutely devastated.
'This is devastating for the client, for the family. It's devastating for the staff who work so hard everyday, working for our clients with significant disabilities.'
Shorter had continued to work at the facility in the nine months between submitting a DNA sample and his arrest.
Cooke said all employees undergo 'rigorous background checks, including FBI screening, every five years'.
The former caregiver was released after posting a $15,000 jail bond on Thursday. It is unclear whether he has an attorney who could comment.
Rockledge Deputy Police Chief Donna Seyferth said: 'Unfortunately, forensic science doesn't always move as quick as we like. We're glad to be able to have some closure in the case.'
