Kelley Linn Basey, 59, Greenfield
HANCOCK COUNTY — A Greenfield woman who runs the Shining Stars Child Care Academy in Greenfield has been arrested and charged with crimes associated with an ongoing molestation case in the county.
Kelley Linn Basey, 59, 500 block of Noble Street, has been charged with failure to make a report of abuse and reckless supervision of a child, both Class B misdemeanors, from an incident in March 2023.
Basey was charged Wednesday when a warrant was issued for her arrest after the case against her was filed in Hancock County Superior Court 2. Indiana law requires child care staff and volunteers to report suspected child abuse and neglect. Failure to do so is a Class B misdemeanor.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials with the Greenfield Police Department (GPD) say while conducting an ongoing investigation of child molestation, it was reported that an incident had occurred at the Shining Stars Academy after a juvenile victim alleged that Jericho Johnson, 26, 1600 block of Carlton Drive, Greenfield, had touched her inappropriately while she was at the daycare where Johnson had worked in March of 2023.
The officer noted in the report that he had previously spoken with Basey, the owner and director of the center, regarding a different incident involving Johnson, and that Basey told the officer there was no disciplinary action taken against Johnson and no red flags ever came up while Johnson worked at Shining Stars Academy.
However, the victim’s family told the officer they had received a message from Basey saying their child expressed concern that Johnson had touched her in March of 2023. Basey told the parents the juvenile victim had been “telling some fibs” recently and she believed this to be one of them, the affidavit said.
The family went to the daycare, the affidavit said, where Basey told them she looked at a video and saw nothing despite the juvenile victim telling the parents she had been touched. The parents, officials noted, said their child had begun acting differently since the child alleged Johnson had touched her.
In March of this year, the juvenile victim’s father saw a story about Johnson, who had been arrested for allegations of child molestation, and contacted Basey. The affidavit stated that Basey told the father they did everything they could back then.
Officials from Zoey’s Place interviewed the child, a 6-year-old, and the juvenile victim disclosed that Johnson touched her inappropriately when she was at the Shining Stars Academy and she believed it was out of view of the cameras, the affidavit said. The juvenile victim disclosed to Basey that Johnson was touching her private parts, the affidavit said, but the juvenile victim told officials she did not think Basey believed her, it was stated in the report.
The affidavit went on to say Basey reached out to police telling them she wanted to talk with them because she believed the media was pushing false information about her business. Basey told officials she believed the child went to the same church as Johnson and that’s where she thought the child may have been abused and not at her facility.
Upon request, Basey provided officials Johnson’s personnel file containing all the documents associated with his employment. Officials found there was no documentation in his personnel file regarding reports of suspected child sexual abuse being made against him despite the parents reporting it to her.
The affidavit went on to say officials interviewed a teacher at the daycare who told them when she came back from a break she noticed Johnson sitting on the floor next to the juvenile victim rubbing her back. The woman told officials the child did look upset because the male had pushed the child over, but before the child could reveal anything else Basey came over and took over the conversation and the teacher left the area.
Officials from the GPD then reached out to the Department of Child Services (DCS) and officials there said no history or records of reports had been made to the DCS hotline from Basey or Shining Stars Academy. The DCS also informed officials with the GPD that there was no report made in 2023 from Basey involving the juvenile victim or any child there.
According to court records, Johnson has been charged with violating at least seven county children at the YMCA after-school program at J.B. Stephens, the YMCA after-school program at Mt. Comfort Elementary School and at the Shining Stars Child Care Academy, 1295 N. State Street, Greenfield.
Johnson had four molestation charges filed against him in February of this year with more charges filed in March of this year, including a Level 1 felony count of child molest and two different Level 4 felony counts of child molest. The charges were added to the others already filed in Hancock County Superior Court 1 for a total of 11 different charges.
Officials noted that had Basey reached out to DCS in March 2023, the child crimes Johnson has been accused of in 2024 might have been prevented.
Indiana is a mandatory reporting state; anyone who suspects a child has been abused or neglected is required by state law to make a report. The Indiana Department of Child Services Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-800-5556. When making a report, callers have an option to remain anonymous, but officials from the Hancock County Prosecutor’s office encourage individuals to provide their contact information so DCS and/or law enforcement so officials can follow-up. For those who believe a child is in imminent danger, please call 911 immediately.
