Man charged with sexually assaulting children in his in-home day care

PENN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Delaware County man has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting children who attended his in-home daycare in Chester County.

James Anthony Battista has been charged with rape of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children.

Battista ran Little Friends Day Care in Penn Township, Chester County, along with his wife.

Man charged with sexually assaulting children at his in-home day care: as seen on Action News at 4 a.m., March 14, 2019

The daycare has since closed.

Last June, Pennsylvania State Police Avondale Barracks received a report that Battista had sexually assaulted a child who attended the daycare on the 2700 block of Newark Road, when the child was 3-years-old.

During the course of the investigation, three other children were identified as victims. These children would have ranged in age from 3 to 7 years old at the time of the alleged assaults, which spanned from 2006-2009.

Pennsylvania State Police said they fear there are more victims that have yet to come forward.

After the daycare closed, Battista moved to Delaware County in 2010.

He was taken into custody Wednesday.

Battista was arraigned and remanded to Chester County Prison on $500,000 dollars straight bail pending his preliminary hearing scheduled for next week.

Anyone with information on this investigation is asked to contact Tpr. Stefano Gallina at the Avondale Barracks at 610-268-2022.