A former employee of the KidsPeace facility in North Whitehall Township has been sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the physical abuse of a 10-year-old boy in his care.
Kellin Jesse Miller, 30, avoided jail time despite being captured on facility surveillance footage assaulting a child under his supervision. According to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred on June 20, 2025, at the residential treatment center located on the 5300 block of KidsPeace Drive.
Detectives were called to investigate the incident on July 11, 2025, after the parents of the 10-year-old victim discovered that their son had suffered broken fingers on both of his hands. The severity of the injuries was significant enough to require surgical intervention.
Investigators reviewing surveillance footage from the facility discovered that the injuries were inflicted while Miller was alone with the boy. The video captured Miller bending the child’s fingers in an “unnatural way” while attempting to restrain him. The footage reportedly showed the child in visible pain and distress immediately following the interaction.
Despite the obvious nature of the injuries and the child’s visible suffering, officials stated that Miller failed to report the incident to his supervisors or facility medical staff. As a result of this failure, the young boy went without necessary medical attention for two full days. It was only after the child’s parents visited the facility and identified the injuries that the boy was finally taken to receive the professional care required to treat his broken bones.
Following an investigation by local authorities, Miller was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of children and simple assault. He ultimately entered a guilty plea to the charges.
In a court proceeding finalized this week, Miller was sentenced to 60 months of probation. By avoiding incarceration, the sentence has sparked renewed scrutiny regarding the oversight of staff members tasked with protecting vulnerable children in residential care settings.
KidsPeace, a well-known organization specializing in behavioral health services for children and adolescents, has not publicly disclosed the specific internal disciplinary actions taken against Miller beyond his separation from the facility following the incident.
The case highlights the critical importance of mandatory reporting protocols within youth care facilities. For the parents of the victim, the resolution marks a legal end to a harrowing ordeal, though the physical and emotional scars left on the child by his primary caregiver remain a focal point for the community and local authorities.
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