A 68-year-old former daycare worker from Bucks County is facing serious child sex assault charges after a woman came forward and told police she was abused while in his care more than a decade ago. Investigators say the alleged assaults happened when the victim was between 11 and 13 years old, and that the man repeatedly followed her home from school. The suspect, identified by police as Mark Charles Stump of Warminster Heights, was arraigned and released on $75,000 unsecured bail.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Stump is charged with aggravated indecent assault of a person less than 13, corruption of minors, indecent assault of a person less than 13 and indecent exposure. The Upper Southampton Township Police Department filed the charges on Wednesday, May 13, after an investigation that began in March 2026, the outlet reports.
Local childcare listed in federal directories
Per Data Commons, Maple Leaf Learning Center appears in federal and local education directories as a private childcare and preschool provider in Upper Southampton Township. Those listings place the center among neighborhood childcare options, indicating that the allegations involve a local provider environment rather than a large corporate chain and helping investigators frame the timeline and setting the woman described.
Police account and investigation
Police say the woman reported that the abuse occurred between 2007 and 2010, when she was about 11 to 13 years old. According to investigators, she told officers that Stump followed her from school to her home, engaged in sexual contact and exposed himself. She also alleged that he showed up often at her youth soccer games and left her unsolicited gifts, behavior that authorities say caused “persistent fear and emotional distress,” as reported by NBC10 Philadelphia. During a noncustodial interview at Upper Southampton police headquarters on March 31, 2026, authorities say Stump admitted that he followed the victim and touched her during those encounters.
Legal charges and next steps
Upper Southampton Township police charged Stump on May 13, and he was arraigned the same day, with the court releasing him on an unsecured $75,000 bond, according to the department’s public information. The case now moves into the preliminary stages in Bucks County, where prosecutors will decide how to proceed with formal charges and hearings. If a judge finds sufficient probable cause at a preliminary hearing, the case would be sent to the Court of Common Pleas for trial.
Bucks County childcare scrutiny
The allegations arrive amid heightened attention on childcare and caregiving in Bucks County and the broader Philadelphia region, as recent investigations and regulatory crackdowns have raised tough questions about oversight at smaller centers and home-based operations. Some prior high-profile caregiver cases have triggered state and local probes and, in certain situations, closures or criminal filings, fueling calls for tighter supervision. For example, CBS Philadelphia reported on a separate alleged abuse case that drew both prosecutorial and regulatory scrutiny.
What police say now
The Upper Southampton Township Police Department remains the lead agency on the case and lists its headquarters location and nonemergency contact details on its public page. Investigators are asking anyone who may have information connected to the allegations to get in touch with the department so they can follow up. Authorities emphasize that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
