Alleged child molester Benjamin Janicki was formally charged Tuesday morning with assaulting a fourth child while he worked at Park Hill United Methodist Children’s Center.
Janicki, 19, was arrested Aug. 4 and charged with assault on three other children while he was employed as a prekindergarten aide for the school’s summer day-care program.
The program served 125 families. The school was closed by the state Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 6 because of “significant supervision issues” and remains shuttered.
Last week, the Denver district attorney’s office filed charges against Janicki in the fourth case.
He remains in jail with bail set at $550,000.
The arrest affidavit in the fourth case is sealed. The warrant covering the first three cases, however, alleges that Janicki “licked and tickled” preschool girls in his care.
The Denver district attorney’s office on Tuesday released a mug shot of Janicki for the first time since his arrest. It had been withheld to allow time for questioning children at the center.
Additional investigation will not be compromised by the release of the picture, said Denver DA spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough. “It is less likely, but not impossible” that other charges could be filed, she said.
Janicki is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Sept. 8 in Denver District Court.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
