A Stanley man facing 25 child sex charges now sits in Gaston County Jail under an $8.5 million bond. Robert Youngblood Kerby made an appearance in court Tuesday for 15 new counts of child sex crimes. A total of 25 warrants have been served on the 57-year-old man, and he could face as many as 80 charges, according to police.
The charges involve six children, all of whom attended Caron’s Care, a day care center that operated out of Kerby’s East Chestnut Street home. Kerby’s wife, Caron Kerby, was licensed by the state to run the day care for more than 20 years. Robert Kerby was not on the business license, but he was certified to watch children.
Kerby was arrested when a 12-year-old girl told police he had molested her at the day care and at her home over the course of four years. That accusation put Kerby in jail, closed the day care and prompted other families to come forward.
Officers with the Stanley Police Department have conducted numerous interviews with children who attended the day care. The latest warrants were issued Monday and served on Kerby at the Gaston County Jail. According to the warrants, Kerby sexually abused five girls and one boy from 2007 to 2013. The children ranged in age from 4 to 12 at the time of the abuse, warrants state.
No one has spoken on Kerby’s behalf during his brief court hearings. Kerby’s wife has not been charged. She has been cooperative with the investigation, according to acting Stanley Police Chief Derek Summey.
Summey’s officers filed more than 80 charges against Kerby this week, but the District Attorney’s Office wants to tackle the first 25 and keep the rest in its pocket for now. A Gaston County grand jury has already handed down indictments on Kerby in the first 10 charges.
The newest charges include taking indecent liberties with a minor, first-degree sex offense with a child and felony child abuse involving a sex act. Kerby was initially held on a $3 million bond. As charges have mounted, his bond has increased. He has been assigned a public defender.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.