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School Aide At Md. School For The Deaf In Columbia Charged With Touching Young Girls

COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- Howard County police have charged a school aide at the Maryland School for the Deaf in Columbia with inappropriately touching three girls when they were students there between 2008 and 2010.

Clarence Cepheus Taylor, 37, was charged with three counts of sexual abuse of a minor, all felony charges.

The three girls, now ages 15 and 16 and students at another school, said that while they were overnight students at the Maryland School for the Deaf, Taylor, who was an evening-shift dorm aide at the time of the incidents, touched them inappropriately on multiple occasions.

Recently, one of the girls came forward and reported her incidents with Taylor to a teacher after learning she may not have been Taylor's only victim. An investigation revealed the two additional victims and detectives are investigating the possibility that there may be others.

One girl reported that while she was an overnight student, Taylor would hug her and rub his hand across her breast in the dorm building hallway when she was 12 and 13 years old.

Another girl disclosed Taylor would walk up and brush her backside and breast with his hand. She reported that this occurred repeatedly in a common area of the dorm building. She also reported that Taylor kissed her when she stood up after drinking from a water fountain. She said she was 10, 11 and 12 years old when these incidents occurred.

The third victim reported that when she was 13 years old and an overnight student, Taylor would walk behind her and brush against her backside on multiple occasions. This girl also reported Taylor kissed her when she stood up after drinking from a water fountain.

Taylor, who is suspended from his current job as a day time teacher's aide at the Maryland School for the Deaf, was arrested at his home without incident.

Police are urging anyone with information, or any additional victims, to come forward and contact detectives at 410-313-3200.

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