Lawsuit against Belton school district alleges former employee sexually abused 8-year-old
A Belton, Missouri, couple filed a lawsuit against the Belton 124 School District last week in Cass County court, alleging their then-8-year-old daughter was molested by a former employee of an after-school childcare program.
The couple, whom The Star is not identifying in order to protect the child’s identity, allege the abuse took place at Wilkcens STEAM Academy at Hillcrest, a Belton public school, between May and September 2022.
The former employee, identified in court documents as J.C., began behaving inappropriately toward the child immediately after he was hired at Wilkcens’ after-school SAC, or School-Aged Childcare, program.
Prior charges filed against the man for additional sex crimes against Belton 124 students identify him as Jason L. Carey, 43, of Belton.
For his role in propositioning, molesting and sexually abusing Belton students, Carey pleaded guilty to eight felonies and four misdemeanors between September 2022 and October 2023. These charges included child enticement, furnishing pornographic material to a minor, sodomy, child molestation and stalking, according to court records.
According to the latest lawsuit, J.C. sexually groomed the child and instructed her to keep their relationship secret while consistently sexually abusing her. J.C’s alleged behaviors included physical abuse, inappropriate touching, taking inappropriate photos of the child and showing the child pornographic materials.
On one occasion, J.C. picked up the child from a sleepover at a friend’s house and brought her to his home, where the sexual abuse continued.
The couple allege that the large amount of time J.C. spent alone with their daughter was itself a violation of Belton school policy, which prohibits staff members from being alone in a room with students, particularly students of the opposite sex. The lawsuit also alleges that J.C. stalked and molested the child at social events off school property under the guise of joining a local church.
Several other parents complained to the school about J.C.’s inappropriate behavior toward their children, primarily their daughters, according to the lawsuit. J.C. was terminated from his position at Wilkcens STEAM Academy in 2022 and his behavior was investigated by Belton police, though Wilkcens parents were not notified about the investigation, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Belton 124 School District re-hired J.C. as a substitute teacher at Belton Middle School in September 2022, despite knowledge of the accusations and investigation pending against him. Records with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education show the criminal allegations surfaced less than two weeks after Carey obtained a certificate to substitute teach.
While working at Belton Middle School, J.C. sent sexually explicit videos and inappropriate messages to female students., according to the lawsuit. He was subsequently arrested and charged with sex crimes against multiple children.
Jason Carey was held without bond in Cass County jail from September 2022 until December 2023, when he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The parents bringing this week’s lawsuit found out about J.C.’s behavior toward their daughter in September 2022, the lawsuit reads, when discussing his other criminal charges with her.
The child, now 10, has suffered severe psychological distress as result of the alleged molestation and abuse, according to the lawsuit. She currently attends counseling three times a week and has suffered from anxiety, fear, trouble sleeping, social difficulties and behavioral regression.
The lawsuit alleges that the school district discriminated against the child by depriving her of her civil liberties and leaving her liable to abuse.
Reporting by The Star’s Bill Lukitsch and Sarah Ritter was used in this article.
This story was originally published August 30, 2024 at 9:03 PM.
