Universal Health Services: McDowell Center for Children Staff Member Arrested on Rape Charge Involving Former Patient

August 9, 2021

A staff member at the McDowell Center for Children, a residential treatment facility in Dyersburg, Tennessee, was charged with two counts of statutory rape by an authority figure for driving to Nashville to have sex with a 17-year-old former patient.

According to Metro Police, 29-year-old Lindsay Shelton was arrested Wednesday in Dyersburg and was brought to Nashville on Friday afternoon. Investigators say Shelton drove to Nashville on two occasions to have sex with the teen, who was discharged from the center in June.

The investigation began after the boy’s parents caught Shelton having sex with their son in their home on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 21. Detectives learned that Shelton visited with the teen once before when his parents were at work on July 1 and also engaged in sex with him then.

Between June 15 and July 21, Shelton and the teen reportedly exchanged more than 8,900 text messages and made 182 phone calls to each other. Shelton is alleged to have been in a supervisory role and in a position of trust over the teen while he was in the facility and used that to initiate a sexual relationship with him after he was discharged.

Shelton is being held in Metro Jail in lieu of $40,000 bond.

Source: Joey Gill, “Treatment facility employee accused in rape of Nashville 17-year-old former patient,” WKRN.com, Aug. 6, 2021, URL: https://www.wkrn.com/news/treatment-facility-employee-accused-in-rape-of-nashville-17-year-old-former-patient/