WESTERVILLE, Ohio — A 30-year-old man who worked at multiple day care facilities in the Columbus area was arrested on Wednesday and accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a 4-year-old girl.
David Cantrell was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury on one count of gross sexual imposition, a felony of the third degree. Police say the charges stemmed from an incident at The Nest Schools day care and preschool on Dempsey Road in Westerville.
The indictment said Cantrell had sexual contact with a child younger than 13 years old at the day care between March 28, 2022, and Sept. 1, 2022. Police were notified of the alleged incident by Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The City of Westerville confirmed that Cantrell was employed at The Nest Schools and worked at other day care facilities in the area, but did not provide additional information.
Cantrell is currently in the Franklin County jail. He is scheduled to appear in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on Friday.
Investigators encourage families who may be concerned about their child's contact with Cantrell by calling or emailing Detective Steve Grubb with Westerville police.
The Nest Schools released a statement, confirming that Cantrell's employment was terminated at the facility.
"The health and safety of our children are always our number one priority. David Cantrell has not been a part of any Nest program for over ten months. Upon learning of the allegation, he was immediately placed on leave and subsequently terminated," the statement read. "While we have no information to add, we will continue to support the investigating agencies as appropriate."
According to Gahanna police, where Cantrell lives, there was an incident reported to police on Sept. 26, 2022, but there is no active investigation. A spokesperson said, "the last communication we had was that the prosecutor's office was not going to present this case to the grand jury."