Hobart Church Worker Accused of Molesting 4-Year-Old

CHICAGO (CBS)--An employee at a Hobart, Indiana daycare center operated by a church allegedly admitted to inappropriately touching a 4-year-old child during an incident when he was alone with the child in September.

Joseph R. Hudson, 23, of Hobart, was charged Monday with one felony count of molesting a child under age 14. The toddler allegedly told her father about the Sept. 25 incident that prosecutors said occurred at Hobart Assembly Church Growing Hearts Daycare.

Hudson was employed by the church as a cook, but had been helping with kids youth programming recently, according to an affidavit filed Oct. 15 by the Superior Court of Lake County's criminal division. He had passed a background check before he was able to be with the kids, according to court documents.

In the affidavit, prosecutors allege Hudson brought the child into an empty classroom after she was stung by a bee. He allegedly molested her in the room, while the other two teachers employed at the school were out of the building, court documents show.

Hudson allegedly admitted to molesting the child when he was confronted by a pastor at the church on Sept. 27.