Former foster teen pleads guilty to sexual assault at Kansas child welfare office
A 20-year-old pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old while they were staying overnight at a Kansas child welfare office last year.
Michael Hamer pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child as part of a plea agreement. The original charge of rape was reduced to the second indecent liberties charge.
Hamer had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday but waived it in favor of a plea.
According to court documents, the 13-year-old girl was sleeping in the corner of a conference room in May 2018 when Hamer approached her, lay down under her blanket and began kissing her. He then put his hands down her pants.
Both were staying at a KVC Behavior Healthcare office in Olathe. They had not been placed with foster families.
A KVC spokeswoman told The Star last year that the social worker caring for the children had left them unsupervised for “five minutes or less” while getting supplies.
The social worker said in court documents that he caught the teens “making out,” but the girl told him she had been sexually assaulted.
The Kansas Department for Children and Families cited KVC, a private contractor, with a violation. The social worker no longer works at KVC.
Following the incident, DCF announced plans to fine contractors that continue to have children sleep in offices.
Contractors had begun resorting to that practice due to a shortage of foster homes and residential beds for children.
Hamer is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 22. He will be required to register as a sex offender as part of his sentence.
This story was originally published September 26, 2019 at 3:35 PM.
