Richard Cliber, 60, is accused of touching a 6 year old boy, an 8 year old girl, a 4 year old girl, and a 5 year old boy when his wife went to run errands or was in another room. The children each told authorities, Richard Cliber used an instrument to assault them. How did the police find out? One of the parents of a child who went to the school called the police. Apparently, this Day Care Center was closed by the State four years ago. So how is it that parents enrolled their children in a Day Care Center that has been closed by the State?
I just think parents have too much on their plate. They are running to work, running to drop their children off, trying to get it together.
And what the State says, What more could we do but close them down. We thought they were closed down, already. What happens is that children, childhood, and lives destroyed because parents didn’t check if the Day Care Center was licensed. And the State not checking to see if in fact they were still operating. We have children hurt in the wake of the illegal operation of a Day Care Center. I’ve seen better accountability, and better oversight done by the State and by parents doing research regarding a dog or animal safety.
The children told the authorities they had been sexually assaulted for quite some time. My advice is for any parent or caregiver whose child attended this Day Care Center to sit down with their children and ask them very clear and focused questions. A child told police that Susan Cliber, the accused wife, yelled to her husband to stop what he was doing because it was “Very bad”. What’s wrong with these wives: Dottie Sandusky, and Susan Cliber? Good women of Pennsylvania and around the United States: Speak up; Stand up; Stop being the silent partner. Call the police! Call the State! Protect the kids! In almost every incident of child sexual abuse there is a woman who could have done something to stop it or prevent it. And did nothing. I would like for women to know, Stop standing by your man! Stand up for the child!
By MATTHEW KEMENY, The Patriot-News
In March 2009, the state Department of Public Welfare sent Richard and Susan Kay Cliber a “cease and desist” letter, ordering the couple to stop running an unlicensed daycare in their Duncannon-area home, according to the agency.
The next month a department agent visited the Lincoln Street home and confirmed the day care was defunct. Or, so they thought. More than three years later, the couple face staggering allegations of sexual abuse of children who attended the unlicensed day care, according to authorities. Richard Cliber, 60, is accused of sexually assaulting at least six boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 9, and his wife Susan Kay Cliber, 56, is accused of failing to report the alleged abuse to authorities. Richard Cliber was charged Friday by Penn Twp. police with three felony counts of aggravated indecent assault, four felony counts of indecent assault and a single misdemeanor count of indecent exposure. Susan Cliber was charged with eight felony counts of endangering the welfare of children. Perry County District Attorney Charles Chenot III said police need to conduct more interviews with children who attended the day care and additional charges are possible. It’s particularly disturbing the allegations involve a day care center, a place where parents are supposed to trust their children are safe, Chenot said. “Unfortunately, this may make people less trusting of their day care provider,” the district attorney said, adding that the majority of day cares are reputable, safe businesses. “Every once in a while you get a bad egg, such as the ones you see in the press and on TV and that’s what’s alleged to have happened here.” The Cliber’s attorney, J. Michael Sheldon, did not return a message seeking comment. Richard Cliber was released on $25,000 unsecured bail and his wife was released on her own recognizance. Chenot said he was surprised the bail was unsecured, which means the accused only has to pay if they don’t show up for court. District Judge Daniel McGuire, who set the bail, said he’s ethically not allowed to comment on his reasons for determining bail. Richard Cliber is accused of touching the children inappropriately with a sex toy when his wife left the home to run errands or was in another room, according to a criminal complaint. He’s accused of using the toy to tickle the children’s’ genitals and other private areas on top of and under their clothes, according to the complaint. Police began investigating the Clibers on Aug. 23 after parents of the child who attends the center called police, the complaint stated. It’s unknown how long the abuse is alleged to have happened. A message left for the Penn Twp. police chief was not returned. A child who attended the day care told police Susan Cliber yelled at her husband to stop what he was doing because it was “very bad,” according to the complaint. Any day care where three or more children who aren’t related are being cared for must be registered with the state. It’s unknown how many children were being watched in the Cliber home, but DPW is investigating, spokeswoman Anne Bale said. Parents should be cautious of where they are sending their children and make sure the facility is licensed, Bale said. “This is a learning opportunity for parents,” she said. “We hope all parents considering child care will ensure a facility is licensed and look at a facility’s history.” Bale said the state’s Department of Public Welfare had no way of knowing the facility was continuing to operate as a day care, despite being ordered to cease. The agency did not receive any tips indicating this was the case, she said. The day care did not have a name to the agency’s knowledge. It was unclear if the couple could face charges for operating an unlicensed day care. The sexual abuse allegations shocked at least one Penn Twp. neighbor, who literally took a step back when he heard the news. The man, who declined to give his name because he feared retaliation, said his sister attended the Cliber’s daycare for several years more than a decade ago. She’s never told him of any problems, but the man said he’s planning on calling her to talk about the experience. “It’s hard to believe someone who lives so close to you would be accused of something like this,” the man said. “I always believed it was a reputable business.”