MAURICE, Iowa — A former Sioux County Deputy Sheriff and his wife are charged with multiple counts of neglect following an investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Caleb and Jill Haverdink of Maurice each face the following charges:
- Neglect of a Dependent Person (Seven counts)
- Mandatory Reporter Violation (Two counts)
Caleb also faces one charge of making a False Report to a Public Entity.
Criminal complaints filed against the Haverdinks indicate multiple children faced sexual abuse at the hands of another child in the home between the years 2019 and 2023. Both Caleb and Jill are licensed to accept foster care children.
"The Haverdinks had prior knowledge of a child in their care committing numerous acts of sexual abuse and sexualized acts against other children and took no meaningful actions(s) to mitigate the sexual abuse or protect the children in their care," the Sioux County Sheriff's Office said in a press release. "Their inaction put children under their care at high risk of victimization for sexual abuse."
As foster care providers, both Caleb and Jill were mandatory reporters, but failed to report the abuse occurring under their care. In addition, Caleb allegedly misled law enforcement by lying to investigators about reporting the abuse to the DHS Child Abuse Hotline.
The Sioux County Sheriff's Office and Sioux County Attorney's Office both recused themselves from the criminal investigation to avoid conflicts of interest.
After Iowa DCI completed its criminal investigation, the Sioux County Sheriff's Office launched an internal investigation into Caleb's conduct, leading to his termination on Feb. 14.
"The investigation concluded Haverdink’s conduct was contrary to the mission of the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and his actions were in violation of established policies and procedures," the sheriff's office said in part.
The Sioux County Sheriff's Office called the charges "deeply troubling" and contrary to its values, writing "This isolated incident is not representative of the dedicated men and women who serve with the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office with honor and integrity every day. It is disappointing when someone from within law enforcement conducts themselves in a manner which brings reproach upon our agency and inhibits their own ability to serve the community."