Nanny Charged In Child Pornography Probe Previously Used Care.com, Police Reach Out To Parents
By Web Staff
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BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Investigators are now reaching out to parents and caretakers who use Care.com and may have had contact with a former nanny who is charged in a child pornography probe.
The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office revealed Tuesday that Stephanie Lak used the website and had profiles under her name and the name Stephanie Germaine as recently as 2019.
Lak, 36, of Roxbury, was arrested April 28 after Boston Police got a cyber tip about her back on March 2 from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She’s charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of material of a child in a sex act.
At her arraignment in April, prosecutors said Lak was active on the child care website Sittercity as recently as March 2021 and has a long history as a babysitter and nanny.
Now, as the investigation expands, they’re reaching out to anyone who made have had contact with her on Care.com.
“Parents and guardians whose minor dependent(s) have been in contact with Stephanie Lak and think they could potentially be one of Lak’s victims, to please email Lakinvestigation@fbi.gov and provide your name and best contact information to have a member of the investigative team contact you,” the D.A.’s office said in a statement Tuesday.
“This individual flew under the radar, gaining the trust of parents in order to gain access to children. While she is not now charged with physically abusing any of the children she cared for, we continue to investigate whether any of these children were harmed in any way. It’s important that any families who worked with Ms. Lak have access to information, guidance, support and resources,” District Attorney Rachael Rollins said.
“The safety of our community is of paramount importance to us and we are deeply troubled by these allegations,” a Care.com spokesperson told WBZ-TV.
“We had closed a profile belonging to this individual back in December 2019 for reasons that are unrelated to the current investigation and took steps at that time to ensure that she would not be able to participate in our online community. We have and will continue to actively support as best we can law enforcement in their investigation and prosecution.”
Lak is due back in court Wednesday.
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