Former youth crisis center employee arrested for child abuse in St. George
ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) — A former employee of a youth crisis center in St. George was arrested Thursday for child abuse after an incident that occurred in March, according to arrest documents.
Henry Chisom Okwori, 29, was arrested on one count of child abuse with injury, intentional or knowing, which is a class A misdemeanor. According to an affidavit of probable cause, Okwori allegedly assaulted one of the juvenile clients in the crisis center, and officers believe he acted knowingly based on his position at the facility.
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The alleged incident is said to have occurred on March 13, when Okwori was supervising the victim. The victim reportedly said the name of a female staff member, which upset Okwori, according to arrest documents.
After Okwori became upset, documents said he “aggressively approached” the victim and “pushed [the victim] backwards by placing his hands on [the victim’s] neck and face area.”
The victim then reportedly fell back and struck their head on a metal bed frame, which caused “physical pain and emotional distress,” according to documents. The victim and Okwori then continued to struggle, and they were both reportedly pushing each other.
Documents said other staff members had to physically separate the two, and the altercation was witnessed by three other adult staff members. The other adults said Okwori was not acting “within the training guidelines,” according to arrest documents.
The victim reported swelling and redness from the altercation, and medical evaluation said the injuries were minor, according to the affidavit.
Okwori was terminated because of his conduct. In an internal investigation from the facility, Okwori admitted he pushed the victim onto the bed because he was upset, according to arrest documents.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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