Foster mother arraigned on rape charges
Barozzini (Photo from Twitter)
Pictured is the Greene County Children & Youth Services building in Waynesburg, which, under its former director, continued placing foster children into the care of Joelle Barozzini, 46, of Greensburg after allegations of sexual misconduct were reported to the agency and Pressley Ridge, a nonprofit child advocacy service. Barozzini was charged May 24 with raping a foster child in her care hundreds of times over the course of four years. (Photo by Ed Riedmann)
Five years after reports of a sexual relationship between a foster mother and her foster son were dismissed as 鈥済ossip鈥� by local child advocacy agencies, a Greensburg woman was charged with rape.
Joelle Marie Barozzini, 46, of 28 Morningside Dr. was arraigned Wednesday for allegedly raping a teen 鈥渉undreds of times鈥� between 2009 and 2013.
An investigation between the Pennsylvania State Police and Greensburg Police Department revealed Greene County Children & Youth Services continued placing children in her care after a former caseworker reported that she believed Barozzini had a sexual relationship with the boy.
The alleged victim, now 24, told investigators Barozzini considered him to be her boyfriend and acted possessively toward him, even after he left her care. He said the first time she raped him was at an underage drinking party she hosted at her house when he was 16, shortly after he was placed in her care, according to court documents.
The 蘑菇视频 does not identify those who allege they are victims of rape.
No formal complaints or reports were made by either Greene County CYS or Pressley Ridge, a child advocacy center that employed Barozzini to assign foster children and train parents. Instead, the investigation began in November when state police Trooper Mike Reinhart had a conversation with the alleged victim, who disclosed the abuse. The trooper made a report to ChildLine, a child abuse reporting system on Nov. 23, according to Greensburg Police Detective John Swank.
鈥淚f not for Trooper Reinhart蘑菇视频 questioning of (the alleged victim), law enforcement would have no knowledge of this incident,鈥� Swank wrote in the affidavit filed in the case.
When asked if additional charges are expected against CYS or Pressley Ridge employees who did not report the suspected abuse, Swank said he and the Westmoreland County District Attorney will be meeting with another agency this week.
鈥淚 can tell you that this investigation is active, and it蘑菇视频 ongoing, and we are certainly looking into a number of different things,鈥� he said.
In 2012, the former CYS caseworker reported her suspicions about Barozzini to a Pressley Ridge employee. Pressley Ridge director Marnie Williams said that the caseworker had made an 鈥渋nappropriate comment鈥� she classified as 鈥済ossip.鈥� She contacted then-CYS administrator Dee Dee Blosnich, who sent a written reprimand to the caseworker about 鈥済ossiping.鈥� The caseworker was removed from the case and required to attend ethics training, investigators said.
The violation for the former caseworker蘑菇视频 鈥渋nappropriate behavior鈥� was provided to Swank. Although the reprimand stated the caseworker received the information from a family member, it said she had 鈥渘o facts鈥� and dismissed the family member蘑菇视频 words as 鈥渉earsay.鈥�
Pressley Ridge Senior Director of Development Ron Gruca said the organization conducted background checks and clearances on Barozzini prior to her employment.
鈥淎ll of our foster parents and employees go through an extensive screening process,鈥� he wrote in an emailed statement, adding that she was put on leave immediately after the investigation was opened, pending results of the criminal investigation.
鈥淧ressley Ridge has been fully cooperating with authorities from the beginning of this investigation. The safety and well-being of children is our highest priority,鈥� he said.
An email provided to Swank by CYS indicated Barozzini requested a 鈥渇ormal retraction鈥� of the allegations the former caseworker made. She said the allegations were impacting her job as she trained parents, who asked her if the allegations were true.
Swank interviewed CYS employees, who reported Barozzini was 鈥渧ery flirtatious鈥� with the boy and 鈥渞outinely made it difficult鈥� for caseworkers to access him.
Current Greene County CYS Director Stacey Courtwright said the agency is 鈥渃ooperating fully with law enforcement.鈥�
鈥淪ince it is an ongoing investigation, I cannot comment any further,鈥� she said.
Department of Human Services Press Secretary Rachel Kostelac confirmed no foster children are in Barozzini蘑菇视频 care. The department oversees children and youth services throughout the state.
鈥淭he well-being and safety of all children throughout the commonwealth is a top priority and the allegations in Greene County are deeply disturbing for the department,鈥� she wrote in an emailed statement.
She said the department is 鈥渞eviewing the situation鈥� and will provide an additional statement after the review is completed.
Barozzini蘑菇视频 home was classified as a Community Residential Rehabilitative host home, which is part of a state-licensed program.
A witness to the underage drinking party in 2009 told investigators she saw Barozzini kiss the boy. Others who witnessed the relationship over the years reported they were suspicious of a sexual relationship between the woman and the boy, saying she acted flirtatiously, touched him inappropriately and treated him like a boyfriend.
The alleged victim told investigators Barozzini would often make her then-husband sleep in a different room so the teen could sleep with her.
He reported that if he refused sexual acts with Barozzini, she would say he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 love her.鈥� He reported the rapes occurred both at her home and in a Comfort Inn in Huntingdon where they would stay when he was visiting his father. Investigators discovered Barozzini would book the room for one person under the name of her husband.
Family members told investigators Barozzini was 鈥渧ery possessive鈥� of the teen and reported she isolated him from his family and bought him expensive gifts. The alleged victim reported Barozzini was 鈥渧ery jealous and controlling and would not permit him to have relationships at school,鈥� the affidavit said.
He directed investigators to a fake Facebook account which he said Barozzini created so others would think he had a girlfriend at Waynesburg University. The page shows a young woman in sunglasses. The majority of the posts, which stopped in 2011, center around missing her boyfriend. A post from Sept. 14, 2011 said 鈥淔or all the haters, it蘑菇视频 been almost two years and I love you more than ever.鈥�
A caseworker told investigators that when she was helping the alleged victim, then 20, move from the home Barozzini 鈥渢hrew herself on the bed and began throwing a tantrum.鈥� She later texted her saying 鈥淵ou ruined my life,鈥� police said.
Several months later, Barozzini sent texts to the alleged victim蘑菇视频 father after she had not received a response from her former foster son for one week. Swank said the man would not tell her where he was, saying his son asked him not to disclose his wherabouts.
Barozzini is charged with rape, institutional sexual assault, endangering the welfare of children and two counts of corruption of minors.
She was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before Magisterial District Judge James Albert in Greensburg, who set her bail at $50,000 unsecured.
An employee at Albert蘑菇视频 office said Barozzini also has a no-contact order with the victim and witnesses. She is also required to turn in her passport and be fingerprinted.
Her preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. June 1 before Albert.