An Oklahoma woman, aged 60, has been taken into custody for allegedly abusing several young children in her care, both physically and emotionally, over a span of more than a decade.
On Monday, Kimberly Ann Haley was arrested and faces four felony charges related to child abuse by injury, according to court records.
Haley came under investigation after five children reported their experiences to an employee at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in June 2023. Their accounts included claims of forced labor, starvation, and at least one instance of an attempted drowning.
A document acquired by the station indicated that Haley asserted she offered a “therapeutic environment for children with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder).” RAD is a condition affecting young children who struggle to form healthy bonds with their parents or caregivers, primarily due to neglect and mistreatment. She allegedly reached out to parents in need of help for their kids via Facebook searches, along with a local mental health expert.
Authorities have stated that Haley lacked the necessary license and training to work with children with RAD, and her approach to managing the children in her care amounted to child abuse.
“They were brought to her for her to care for them. People paid her to take care of them while they were staying with her,” Det. Paul Holland with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office told the station. “They had to sleep on the floor, naked with no blankets as punishment, they weren’t allowed to have food. Food was locked up in the refrigerator with a padlock on it. Cabinets were the same way.”
A report from Tulsa Fox affiliate KOKI reveals that one child informed authorities that Haley restricted her access to food until she finished household chores, mentioning that the refrigerator was locked and had an alarm system. The child allegedly mentioned that Haley frequently forbade her from bathing and using the bathroom during the night.
A child has alleged that Haley threw her into a bathtub, resulting in a head injury. Haley reportedly tried to drown the victim in the bathtub but was stopped by another person who intervened.
Some children reported that Haley made them stay “outside in the woods,” where they had to rely on “pond water and wild onions” for survival.
Additional claims involved children being compelled to “clean the sewer with their bare hands” and utilize buckets in place of a bathroom. Holland reported that the home had just one functioning bathroom, and the children had to take on the role of plumbers to remove all the sewage.
Furthermore, a child reported that she was stabbed in the knee by Haley after being told she washed the dishes incorrectly, according to KOTV.
Officials reported that Haley has not hosted any children in her residence over the past year. She is now in the Tulsa County Jail with a bond set at $25,000 and is set to appear in court on Wednesday.