Former Family and Protective Services employee given 50 years for abusing adopted children

A former employee of the Department of Family and Protective Services, Eric Norman Stewart, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for sexually abusing two young girls he had fostered and adopted.

Stewart set up a group home in Missouri City, Texas where he lived with the children he fostered and adopted. Evidence presented to a grand jury showed that between 2014 and 2016, Stewart sexually abused a 9-year-old and a 12-year-old girl in his home for more than two years.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Alycia Curtis, said in a statement, “All children deserve to feel safe in their homes. This defendant betrayed his role as both a father and as an employee within Children’s Protective Services, an agency designed to keep kids safe.”

District Attorney Brian Middleton added, “When that person betrays their child, the village will rise up to protect the child and punish the abuser. I am proud of my prosecutors; of law enforcement; and most importantly, these children; to hold the defendant accountable.”

This case highlights the importance of vetting and closely monitoring those who are entrusted with caring for vulnerable children. The Department of Family and Protective Services must take every necessary precaution to ensure that children in its care are placed in safe and loving homes.