‘Pattern of predators’: Guardian of foot-licking victim speaks out

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The guardian of the 7-year-old boy, victim of the Urban Air assault incident, speaks out for the first time about the incident, and what other parents should know.

The Richmond County School System on Friday afternoon released the personnel file of the teacher’s aide who was arrested this week after authorities say he was caught tickling and licking the feet of a 7-year-old boy at a business popular with kids.

According to authorities, Caurey Rollins, 25, of Augusta, was arrested Wednesday and accused of licking a child’s feet between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Jan. 14.

Now the guardian that made the report, is speaking out.

“The pattern of predators. They find a way, they will revolve their whole life around their fantasy,” Caitlin Phillips, the victim’s guardian says.

Chilling words for any parent to hear. We are learning more about what happened that day, we went live at Glenn Hills Elementary School where the suspect used to work.

This happened a little over a month ago at the Urban Air Adventure Park near Target on Robert C. Daniel and they tell us the man who did it was there by himself.

Rollins is the man deputies arrested for licking the toes of a 7-year-old boy. He’s also a former teacher’s assistant at Glenn Hills elementary. He told authorities he was at the trampoline park visiting family, but they later found out that wasn’t the case.

MORE COVERAGE:

• Accused foot licker worked for Richmond County School System
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We spoke with the guardian of the victim earlier and she says she panicked when he told her what happened.

“He said ‘there was an adult and he asked me to sit down in front of him and he um, wanted me to remove my socks and started rubbing on my feet. And then he started licking them’.. like licking his toes,” Phillips says.

Rollins is charged with non-aggravated child molestation and we’re discovering more about what happened that day and how parents are feeling now.

“Whenever one of the children came down, that was with me he came to me with a very concerned look on his face and he mentioned to me that there was an adult up there that.. At first, he described was tickling his feet, and that alarmed me,” Phillips says.

Since news broke of a man arrested at Urban Air for touching a child’s feet, parents on social media have expressed concerns the suspect used to work as a teacher’s aid at Glenn Hills.

The personnel file shows that the school district informed the Glenn Hills Elementary physical education aide on Jan. 17 that it had learned of the incident and he would be placed on administrative leave for an undetermined number of days.

On Feb. 11, he submitted his formal resignation stating it was in his best interest to step down, and on that same date, a Saturday, the district accepted his resignation. Parents are now wondering how this happened.

Unattended, with a plan, it’s how deputies say Rollins went into Urban Air on Jan. 14 where authorities kicked him out after a 7-year-old boy says he licked his feet.

Phillips says, “That is a sexual offense. Somebody messing with your feet. You know, it’s a child, number one, and the person has no consent to touch you, you know, in any way.”

The incident report says the child said Rollins asked him to remove his socks and then eventually licked both of his feet. Parents are now outraged that this former teacher’s aid was ever allowed near their children.

“I pulled up behind the vehicle that he was getting into. And I saw that he had an educator tag and I just busted into tears,” Phillips says.

On Facebook, Shekia Johnson says, “My head is in a million places right now, sending my children to a school you would think they’re in good hands.”

Phillips says she’s just happy Rollins is finally off of the streets.

“Thankfully they were able to do that so that we could prevent this from happening further from this family,” Phillips says.

Parents say they still have not been notified about any of this from the school. Or why he was initially put on administrative leave.

We’re continuing to dig deeper into why.

READ THE PERSONNEL FILE:

After his arrest, Rollins was charged with non-aggravated child molestation.

An incident report from Richmond County deputies describes what happened at Urban Air Adventure Park, 207 Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway.

Upon arrival, deputies met with business owner William Gilbert, who stated Rollins was unaccompanied in the building and in a fenced-in area where children play.

The guardian of the victim told Gilbert that Rollins approached the victim in the fenced area.

The victim stated Rollins tickled his feet, asked him to remove his socks, and licked both of his feet.

Rollins told deputies he was originally there with family, but they’d left.

The owner stated that security cameras did not record the incident due to location.

The guardian of the children told News 12 the business was very apologetic and said it plans to expand the coverage areas of the cameras.

LOOKING BACK ON A SIMILAR CASE:

• Remember the infamous CSRA toe sucker?

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission was open about Rollins’ certification. It said he was certified as a paraprofessional educator as of Sept. 27, 2022, and that the certification is valid through June 30, 2027.

Rollins was in Richmond County jail on Friday, according to jail records.

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