Home Surveillance Video Shows Port Orange Caretaker Abusing Disabled 12-Year-Old

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Port Orange, FL - A Port Orange caregiver is facing abuse and battery charges after home surveillance video showed her striking, grabbing, pushing, and kicking a disabled 12-year-old boy she was meant to be caring for. On Friday, April 13, Port Orange police (POPD) received reports from a mother regarding the abuse of her son while he was in the care of 62-year-old Julie Carter, a juvenile caregiver employed by Maxim Health Care. The mother told police that Carter had been caring for her son, who is diagnosed with COACH syndrome (a condition that affects the brain and liver), for three years. She said her son requires 24-hour supervision as he cannot speak, move on his own, or care for himself. The previous night (April 12), Carter reported to the residence to begin taking care of the boy while the mother left to tend to other responsibilities. The mother later reviewed the surveillance video of that night and observed Carter abusing her son. One video shows Carter seemingly asleep on the couch while the boy is face down on the floor nearby. Another shows Carter grabbing the boy’s arm forcefully and pinning it down while she changed his diaper. The videos also show Carter pushing the boy from the kitchen into the living room while the boy was in his “stander,”  a mobility device that allows him to stay upright. The video shows the boy inappropriately positioned in the stander with his head and neck in an awkward position causing painful pressure to be applied to his throat. Carter was also seen pushing the boy off the couch and kicking him over while he was propped up against the couch. During the video, she slammed the boy’s head against the floor and smacked his face and head several times. The boy was seen reaching out for help as he laid on his stomach unable to get up. During an interview, Carter told police that she did not recall anything out of the ordinary that night and that she knew the home had surveillance video. She said the boy was being difficult and that she did not believe she was being rough with him. She claimed she never kicked the boy nor had done any of the behaviors before. Carter was ultimately arrested and charged with child abuse and battery. She was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail.

(Carter's mugshot courtesy of Volusia County Corrections)