How Could You?Hall of Shame-Gary Kitchings UPDATED
This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.
From West Palm Beach, Florida, Group Home “Place of Hope said Wednesday it has fired house parent and Uber driver Gary Kitchings following his arrest on rape and kidnapping charges of a passenger.
According to DCF, Kitchings was not licensed as a foster care parent, but Place of Hope said he was working under a group license.
Place of Hope issued a statement late Weds. night that said Kitchings was a house parent at Place of Hope’s Kid Sanctuary campus, licensed by DCF and contracted through the local community-based care lead agency, ChildNet.
“While Mr. Kitchings was not licensed by DCF as a foster parent, his employment as house parent was under Place of Hope’s group home license provided by DCF. This structure of care is in full conformity with the requirements of the state of Florida. Place of Hope is a comprehensive children’s services organization, whose services include operating state-licensed group homes.”
In a 2014 interview with WPBF 25 News, Kitchings gave a tour of the home where he and his wife were to start living with six girls aged 8–17.
Kitchings said at the time that he and his wife had been foster parents for 18 years.
The girls were in the foster care system, but Place of Hope is a private facility run on donations and other funds.
Kitchings does not have a criminal background, and civil court records reveal only a bankruptcy on his record.
Records show Kitchings has owned and operated several businesses including a preschool and a senior living facility.”
Group foster girls’ home fires Uber driver charged with rape
[Wpbf 5/11/17 by Terry Parker]
REFORM Puzzle Piece
Update:“A trial date is set for Oct. 2 for Gary Timothy Kitchings, the foster parent and Uber driver charged with raping a passenger he drove home from SunFest in May.
Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Joseph Murphy set the day Friday morning in a hearing that lasted a minute.
Early on May 7, Jupiter police arrested Kitchings, 57, on charges of kidnapping, burglary and sexual battery after a 37-year-old woman reported he assaulted her overnight.
The woman was seated in the car in a front seat when he made advances to her, according to police. He then forced her to perform a sex act, threatening her by saying he had a gun underneath his seat, investigators said. When he dropped her off at her residence in Jupiter, she said, he followed her in and raped her in her bedroom.
Kitchings is the father of an adopted child and was a “house parent” at KidSanctuary in suburban West Palm Beach. He is being held without bond at the Palm Beach County Jail.”
NEW: Uber driver, foster parent charged with rape gets October trial
[Palm Beach Post 6/23/17 by Eliot Kleinberg]
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