WILMINGTON, Del. – A social worker who assisted sexually abused children was accused of striking a deal with her boyfriend in which she agreed not to reveal that he allegedly raped her 15-year-old daughter.
The woman had allegedly agreed not to report the incident if her live-in boyfriend paid her $1,000 a month for 10 years, authorities said. Her name was not immediately released.
Both were arrested Sunday after the woman called police to report the alleged rape, which occurred eight months ago. The couple formalized the agreement in a notarized document, court records show.
Albert Laing, 38, was charged with rape, child endangerment, unlawful sexual contact and hindering prosecution. He remained jailed in lieu of bail.
Police spokesman Sgt. William Wells said the relationship between the woman and Laing continued until recently. It was unclear why she decided to inform authorities.
"The best we can tell is that Laing was getting ready to leave for a trip to New York," police Lt. Christine Dunning said.
The woman, 54, was charged with child endangerment and hindering prosecution for not lodging a criminal complaint against a person she knew committed a felony. She has been released.
Wells said the woman was employed by the state of Pennsylvania as a social worker and she worked with sexually abused and exploited children.
Stacey Ward, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (search) confirmed Tuesday the woman was an employee there, The (Wilmington) News Journal reported.
The victim has been placed with a relative.
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