The investigator has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenager.
But he still has not been fired.
Daniel Willams Hulings, 34, faces 15 years in prison if he is convicted of the seven counts of criminal sexual conduct he’s charged with in a Clinton County District Court.
According to court records, Hulings was charged in May and was arraigned on June 7.
But even though he’s accused of raping a 16-year-old minor, Hulings was only suspended without pay from his job as a child abuse investigator at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) — a government agency currently under public scrutiny for separating minor children.
HHS, commonly called CPS, HHS, DHS, DFCS and other acronyms depending on the state, operates in every state with federal funds, which are supposed to be used to protect children.
However, in many instances across the country, that’s hardly the case.
Hulings’ victim told authorities he assaulted her on numerous occasions for a period of more than a year.
The assaults began when she was 16 while he was working as a child abuse investigator, according to the Lansing State Journal.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesman Bob Wheaton said he is aware of the charges and confirmed Hulings has not yet been fired.
Instead, Wheaton indicated Hulings would only be fired if he is convicted in court.
“We are aware of the arrest of this employee, and we will take whatever actions are necessary to protect the safety and well-being of children.
‘That’s our department’s top priority,” Wheaton said, adding the agency doesn’t comment on specific details of cases — a common line used by HHS (or CPS) when separating families in juvenile courts, which aren’t held under public scrutiny due to the privacy issues of minors and their identities.
The fact remains, Hulings, who is charged with seven counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor has not been fired from his job as a child abuse investigator at HHS, according to the department’s own social worker.
And he apparently will only be fired if and when he’s found guilty in a criminal court.
If he’s acquitted, he could very well end up back at his job.
