Parents hire therapist who ties scarf around 4-year-old son's neck during daycare nap time, cops say

A 36-year-old behavioral therapist successful Colorado is accused of abusing a 4-year-old astatine a daycare, allegedly tying the lad up with a scarf truthful helium would "learn a lesson."

Joseph Kosse was taken into custody Friday and charged with 1 number of felony second-degree assault and 1 number of misdemeanor kid abuse, tribunal records show.

According to an incident report from the Colorado Springs Police Department, officers astatine 3:24 p.m. connected Oct. 23 responded to a imaginable maltreatment telephone astatine Springs of Life Children's Center successful the 2300 artifact of Academy Pl. The caller told the dispatcher that "a 4-year-old kid had been tied up by a therapist portion astatine the facility."

Police noted that the therapist was employed by the child's household and did not enactment astatine the daycare.

The CSPD Crimes Against Children Unit took implicit the probe connected Oct. 27, conducting aggregate interviews with witnesses arsenic good arsenic a forensic interrogation with the victim. Investigators obtained an apprehension warrant for Kosse connected Oct. 29, arresting him the pursuing day.

Authorities provided further accusation astir the circumstances of Kosse's apprehension successful a probable origin affidavit obtained by section ABC affiliate KRDO.

According to the report, Kosse worked for a institution called Grace Way Collective Behavioral Therapy. The victim's household reportedly worked retired an statement with the daycare truthful their lad could person one-on-one therapy sessions astatine the installation during nap time.

During the Oct. 23 therapy session, the daycare manager said she heard a kid crying and went to investigate. When she asked Kosse what happened, the therapist reportedly told her the 4-year-old had tried to necktie a scarf astir his ain neck. Kosse allegedly said helium responded by tying the kid up with a scarf truthful the lad would "learn his lesson."

The manager called the constabulary aft she reportedly noticed disposable reddish marks connected the cervix of the child, who besides complained that his cervix hurt.

Speaking with police, the kid reportedly said that Kosse "tied a scarf connected my neck," adding that helium was "holding it excessively tight."

In a connection to KRDO, Springs of Life said that Kosse and different therapists employed by Grace Way Collective Behavioral Therapy were nary longer allowed connected its premises.

Kosse was booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center. He had been released from detention by Monday evening, according to jailhouse records.

It was not instantly wide erstwhile Kosse was scheduled to look successful court.