Former group home worker to serve probation for contributing to misconduct of teen

A former group home worker this week was ordered to serve 18 months of probation for contributing to the misconduct of a teen girl who lived at the facility where he worked.

Among the probationary terms put in place by a judge during his sentencing Wednesday, Maurice Taylor is not allowed to be alone with anyone under age 18 and must complete 120 hours of community service work that isn’t related to children.

Taylor, 51, of Wichita, pleaded guilty in February to an amended charge of contributing to a child’s misconduct connected to the sheltering or concealing of a runaway, according to court records. The crime is a felony.

According to an affidavit released by the court earlier this month, Taylor met the 17-year-old girl after she was placed at Morning Star group home in Wichita in December 2015. After moving back in with her mother, the girl ran away from home.

Taylor, the affidavit says, would meet up with the girl, knowing that she “was a runaway at the time.”

If Taylor fails to abide by the terms of his probation, he could go to prison for nine months.

This story was originally published March 17, 2017 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Former group home worker to serve probation for contributing to misconduct of teen."