Hunter
02/19/21
A former resident of Marion who worked at the Four Oaks youth facility has filed a written plea to sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy.
It was reported in July that 29-year-old Danielle Hook was arrested and charged with third degree sexual abuse, sex exploitation by a counselor, and harboring a runaway.
Hook is accused of having sexual contact with the boy between July of 2017 and November of 2018 while she was employed at the Cedar Rapids facility. She allegedly had sex with him in January of 2019 and harbored him while he was 15 years old in February of 2019.
Investigators say after Hook was fired from Four Oaks, the boy was living with her in Marion. She also fathered the boy’s child. The boy is now 16. The Cedar Rapids Gazette discovered another underage boy was involved with Hook. A 17-year-old who was roommates with the 14-year-old told investigators that the two had sex with Hook in the basement of a cottage at Four Oaks, and after his release from the facility stayed at Hook’s mobile home on the weekends, along with the 14-year-old. Both boys were at Hook’s residence when authorities executed a search warrant.
Hook faced up to 17 years in prison on the original charges. She plans to plead to amended charges of 3rd degree sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. Her written plea Thursday was rejected by a judge because information was missing from the document. The plea hearing has been reset to March 18th. The state’s Attorney General’s Office plans to join with Hook’s lawyer to recommend the sentences run concurrently for a total of ten years and for Hook to get probation. She will also have to register as a sex offender and serve parole.