Daytona Beach, Fla. – Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Deirdre Wade, 38, of Daytona Beach, on charges of felony child neglect (F.S. 827.03(2)(d)), failure to report child abuse (F.S. 39.205(1)), and providing a false report to law enforcement (F.S. 837.05(1)(a)). Flagler County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
 
Wade was the case manager for a minor child living in a non-relative placement. According to the investigation, the child was drugged and sexually battered during a runaway episode. The child notified Wade of the attack and her intent to run away, neither of which Wade reported to law enforcement until roughly a month afterward.
 
On multiple occasions, Wade also was complicit in the child running away and in covering it up from authorities, including failing to file and update timely missing child reports of the child under her care and lying to investigators. Agents also found that she hid the fact that the child was living in a different county with an adult individual not cleared for foster care.
 
Wade was arrested yesterday and booked into the Volusia County Jail on $2500 bond.  ​This case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 7th Judicial Circuit.
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Jessica Cary, or Jeremy Burns
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001