Florencia Guadalupe Renderos Morales
A woman charged with sexually abusing migrant children has been transported from Harris County in Texas to Hamilton County.
According to a court affidavit, an investigator received multiple complaints filed by Childrens Protective Services about inappropriate behavior by staff members at La Casa de Sidney, a facility for migrant children operated in Highland Park by the Baptiste Group. The center was later shut down.
Investigators were told that Florencia Guadalupe Renderos Morales, 22, had an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old juvenile at the facility. The affidavit says Ms. Morales was seen kissing the victim inside the facility.
Police said LCDS’ director Terrance Ware provided recordings of audio conversations between the juvenile and another minor at the facility. Police said that in these recordings, the juvenile said he kissed, cuddled, and touched Ms. Morales several times.
Police saw an email from Ms. Morales to director Ware from June 4, where police said she stated she “has been talking to minor (redacted) for about three weeks now even though I know I’m not supposed to do that.”
Police said Ms. Morales, who is a native of El Salvador, also has inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old boy at the facility - kissing him inside the facility. The boy said she made him nervous and very uncomfortable. He said she would come into his room and stare at him while he was in bed - to the point that he would pull covers over his head until she would leave.
He said one night he was sitting in his room when Ms. Morales came into his room and kissed him on the lips. He said he then told her he was gay just so she would leave him alone.
The boy said she then began treating him badly for turning her down.
She was charged with two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure. Ms. Morales was arrested in Texas on Aug. 28 and taken back to Tennessee. She was booked at the county jail on Tuesday.