After a child was placed in care of a man with a record of child sexual assault allegations last month, Senators Telo Taitague and Joanne Brown question how this went unseen by Public Health’s Child Protective Services division.
The man, Ryan Joshua Cruz, was charged earlier this month with first degree criminal sexual conduct and 3 counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct, after allegedly molesting a child that was placed under his foster care.
Cruz had been accused of allegedly molesting a child several times in the past, with some records dating back to 2018.
Senators Taitague and Brown are asking how it was possible that a child was placed under the foster care of a man who had been previously accused of allegedly molesting a child.
They wrote a joint letter last Friday to Speaker Therese Terlaje, Chairperson of the Committee on Health; and to Sen. Chris Barnett, Chairman of the Committee on Public Safety, requesting to have a joint hearing.
An ongoing investigation was launched by the Office of the Attorney General.
“This incident demands that we take an in depth look at the policies, processes and procedures of our foster care system and how our child welfare professionals and Public Health agencies carry out the mandates and regulations required for the safe placement of our community’s most vulnerable children” said the letter.
