Therapist is charged with alleged sexual assault of a minor who was in her care

SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) – A woman who provided therapy at a facility that provides residential child care is accused of repeatedly sexually abusing her patient.

Kayla Howard, a therapist in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, faces multiple charges following an investigation.

According to the affidavit filed by the Pennsylvania State Police, troopers received multiple Childline reports of alleged inappropriate contact and conversations between Howard and several juveniles at the Somerset County Youth Aid Home.

According to police, Howard was employed at the home as a licensed therapist

According to investigators, detectives last month interviewed a teenager who told police he had been enrolled as a student in the home’s “partial program” last summer.

Police said the then-14-year-old teen disclosed that Howard allegedly performed sexual acts on him about seven or eight times during individual therapy sessions.

According to the victim, he and Howard also engaged in sexual intercourse in one of the sessions, cops said.

The victim described Howard as an “authority figure” and stated that she allegedly told him that if he refused to engage in the sexual acts, she would report him because he “refused to talk to her.”

Police said the victim explained he complied so he could stay in the juvenile hall longer.

According to online court records, Howard faces a number of charges, most notably rape, unlawful sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and institutional sexual assault of a minor.

According to officials, a warrant was issued for her arrest and she was taken into custody over the weekend.

WJAC reached out to the Somerset County Youth Aid Home and was told they had no comment on the investigation.