A day care worker has been accused of taping a toddler to a mat to force him to sleep during nap time.

Alicia Lyons, 20, was arrested this week and charged by police with first-degree criminal abuse. She has been released from Kenton County jail and is allegedly cooperating with police investigations.

Wayne Turner, who is the Ludlow police chief, has said the parent of a toddler attending Mustard Seeds Child Care, at 318 Oak St., Ludlow told police that their child was taped to a mat. The incident involved an 18 month old toddler last October.

The incident report said, "Lyons and another worker duct taped a child to a sleeping mat in order to get him to go to sleep."

Lyons has admitted in a police interview to "taping the child to a mat to get him to calm down." She has been fired from her job at the day care center, Turner reported, which paid $8 an hour. She had worked there for about eight months.

Spokesman Pat Crowley has released as statement saying: "This is an unfortunate, yet isolated incident. Management of the day care facility said that such an act violates the company's written policy and training procedures. The company is now purchasing video camera equipment for all three of its locations to prevent such acts in the future."

Lyons had reportedly passed all state background checks when she was hired.