Posted on: 6:17 am, January 15, 2014, by Trisha Bee, updated on: 12:37pm, January 15, 2014
Stephen Jacobs
RACINE CO. (WITI) 27-year-old Stephen Jacobs, the autism therapist charged with physical abuse of a child, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, January 15th and then pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.
Jacobs faces one count of physical abuse of a child, sexual assault of a child, physical abuse of a child by a child care provider.
Officials spoke with the childs mother, who said her child suffers from severe autism and had been receiving treatment through a company called Autism Intervention Milwaukee for several months.
The childs mother told officials that she was advised by her childs doctor that he may be more mentally handicapped that previously diagnosed, and that his treatment needed to change. This, according to the criminal complaint.
The criminal complaint says the child received in-home treatment from four different therapists and neither she, nor her husband were allowed to be present for the therapy.
The complaint says the child is non-verbal, and unable to communicate what happens at therapy sessions. The childs mother and father became concerned that the childs treatment was not having the desired effect, so they placed a web camera in the treatment area to record his treatments on December 12th, 13th and 14th.
The complaint says that on December 14th, the childs mother observed therapist Stephen Jacobs physically assault her son.
The complaint says the childs mother ordered Jacobs out of her home and a copy of the video was given to investigators.
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Autism therapist accused of abusing child pleads not guilty