A Waynoka woman is facing allegations of child abuse involving her employment in an Alva daycare.

Chelsea Rose Maul, 24, of Waynoka, was charged on Aug. 11 in Woods County with two counts of child abuse and one count of child neglect, all felonies.

One child abuse charge alleges that Maul used her fingers to touch a four-year-old girl in the private area. The second child abuse charge states that Maul willfully and maliciously tormented numerous children who were under the age of four years old at the time, by using a pattern of behavior to harm or threaten harm to the health or safety of the children, causing physical, mental or emotional injury or damage to the body or mind.

The child neglect charge states Maul willfully and maliciously neglected children in her care by using marijuana prior to coming to work and at breaks while working as a daycare employee.

The incidents listed in the investigation are alleged to have occurred between May 1 and May 19 while Maul was employed at V’s Learning Center in Alva.

Alva Police Officer Sean Farris was assigned by Chief Ben Orcutt to respond to the Woods County Courthouse on May 24 where District Attorney’s Investigator Steve Tanio would be conducting a forensic interview of a child in reference to reported child abuse and child sexual abuse. He met with Tanio and DHS workers Jade Cooper and Kayla Carrasco. Cooper and Carrasco said they initially received a report of physical abuse at the daycare. After starting their investigation, they received information from another child’s parent about a disclosure of sexual abuse.

During the investigation, interviews were conducted with two children, ages 3 and 4. Farris, Cooper and Carrasco also interviewed the director of the daycare, two other employees of the daycare and Maul.

According to the affidavit in the case, during her interview on June 2, Maul admitted to having an Oklahoma medical marijuana card and admitted to regular use before the start of the day and during breaks after her first couple of days working at the daycare. Maul stated she has PTSD from sexual abuse she suffered in 2019 but was quick to dismiss the possibility of it being causal to her own possible abuse behavior in the daycare.

Farris questioned Maul about her application with the daycare and her statements of being both a senior and in the NWOSU Education program According to the affidavit, Maul stated she “just messed up” and though she had enough hours to be a senior. Maul did not give any explanation as to her statements of being accepted into the education program.

Maul’s first appearance in court is scheduled for Sept. 14 according to online records.

Each of the three felony charges is punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections not exceeding life imprisonment, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000, or both such fine and imprisonment.