How Could You? Hall of Shame-Devin Wesley

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 Palatka, Florida, O’Carroll group home employee Devin Wesley was convicted and sentenced to “four years in prison on a charge of child abuse involving a disabled Palm Coast teenager who was burned with a clothes iron.”

“”I was there at the sentencing and it was all pretty scary,” said the girl’s mother, Jeanette Roscoe. “I was under the impression he was incarcerated, but he was out. He’s not now.”

Representatives of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities investigated the home along with officials from the state Department of Children & Families, the Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement.

According to investigators, Wesley held the girl down on Jan. 3 while Kavarus Bellamy, 21, first threatened and then burned her with an iron. Jolissia Battles, 20, also sprayed the girl “with an unidentified chemical in the face, ” and Jamon Davis, 26, and Yolanda Miller, 31, are accused of failing to protect a child and failure to report child abuse, reports state.”

“”I told her that what (Wesley) did, to hold down a disabled child with the mind of a 2-year-old while that child is burned, was unimaginable to me. There is no punishment that’s enough, but I understand the court system has limits on what it can do.”

“Roscoe said she knew of “minor incidents” over the 11 years her daughter had lived in the Palatka home but was satisfied with how they were handled.

There have been problems at other O’Carroll Homes in the past, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Shirley Ann Poole, 56, who worked at a different O’Carroll Homes facility in Palatka, is on felony probation for abuse of a disabled adult in 2007, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

In April, the O’Carroll group homes in Palatka and one in Hastings had their Medicaid waiver agreements pulled as a result of an incident. ”

“A related court hearing is scheduled for today, Roscoe said, but the only action anticipated is to set September court dates for the other four accused in the case.

“My main focus now is Kavarus,” Roscoe said. “She did the main act (accused of burning her daughter). I’d like to see her get the max.”

Man sentenced to 4 years for abuse of disabled Palm Coast girl
[The Daytona Beach News-Journal 8/4/11 by Julie Murphy]

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