DYRS employee charged with sexually abusing minor

An employee with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl detained at the Youth Services Center.

Kelvin Powell, 60, is accused of inappropriately touching and having sexual relations with the victim “on and off” since approximately fall of last year.

When reached by phone Friday evening, Powell said he was not permitted to discuss the allegations. His attorney could not immediately be reached.

Police accuse Powell of abusing the victim when he escorted her to make phone calls afforded to detainees with good behavior. Over many months, charging documents said, Powell’s abuse escalated from kissing, to inappropriate touching, to sex acts.

Police conducted interviews with the victim and her confidants, and reviewed videos that showed some of the assault, charging documents state.

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When asked by a police detective, the victim said she was ready to speak about the abuse because “she started having nightmares about the defendant coming in her room and touching her,” according to charging documents.

The documents state that in interviews with police, Powell denied forcing the victim to do “anything inappropriate with him” or engaging in sex acts with her.

On Saturday, a DYRS spokesperson said in a statement that the department had placed Powell on administrative leave and immediately notified D.C. police upon learning of the allegations.

“The District takes any allegations of illegal or inappropriate behavior by our employees seriously, especially when the youth under our care are impacted,” DYRS Director Hilary Cairns said in a statement.

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