On May 14, Brookhaven police arrested Oglethorpe Presbyterian Pre-School and Kindergarten teacher and the facility’s director on multiple counts of first-degree child cruelty following an investigation into the mistreatment of children as young as 11 months old.
Lead teacher Charles K. Wheeler, 27, faces six counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. Beverly J. Moon, 63, the facility’s director, was charged as a party to the crime after investigators determined she was aware of the conduct and did not report it to authorities, according to a press release from the department.
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A Brookhaven police detective opened the investigation May 4 after information surfaced during a separate inquiry first reported April 1, the release said.
As the investigation developed, witnesses described Wheeler using excessive physical restraint on children inside the classroom. The children involved in the alleged abuse ranged in age from 11 months to three years old.
The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services and the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning conducted parallel investigations, the findings of which corroborated evidence gathered by Brookhaven detectives.
Detectives arrested Wheeler on May 6 based on witness statements and information provided by victims’ parents, initially charging him with five counts. A sixth victim came forward following his arrest, resulting in an additional charge.
Wheeler faces six counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. Moon was charged as a party to the crime. According to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, the two remain in jail as of May 15.
Anyone with information, or parents who believe their child may have been a victim, should contact the Brookhaven Police Department at 404-637-0600.
