ROUND ROCK ― The attorney for a man accused of abusing two girls at a Round Rock daycare released a statement Wednesday defending his client.
“Taylor Acord, a native Austinite and longtime Williamson County resident, is facing something he nor anyone who knows him ever thought he would – unfounded charges of harming a child,” said Acord’s attorney Kyle Lowe.
“The charges are related to a home child care service run by Acord’s wife, Kimberly, a nurse who has been successfully running a day care operation without incident since 2011. Kimberly Acord has not been charged with a crime.”
Taylor Acord was charged with indecency with a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child on Feb. 24.
Acord was accused of touching a 2-year-old girl improperly and having oral sex with a 5-year-old girl in separate incidents at his wife’s daycare in Round Rock, according to arrest affidavits.
The daycare, which is registered with the state, is located at 505 Deerfoot Drive in Round Rock.
“The Acords unequivocally deny all of the inflammatory charges made against them,” said Lowe in the statement he released Wednesday.
“I can’t think of a more vicious or vindictive claim you could make against a person,” said Taylor Acord, according to the statement. “Especially when there isn’t a grain of truth to the allegations.”
Taylor Acord’s attorney also said the charges filed by Round Rock Police and Detective Michael McCabe “show how a rushed and unsubstantiated criminal allegation can be unjustifiably ruinous to an innocent person.”
Round Rock police responded to Lowe’s comments on Wednesday.
“The Round Rock Police Department takes reports of crimes against children very seriously,” a statement from the department said. “We investigate these types of cases thoroughly and work closely with the District Attorney’s office before making an arrest. The Department recognizes the critical importance of being thorough in our investigations to protect all members of the community.”
Taylor Acord’s lawyer also said Wednesday that Kimberly Acord complied with all federal, state, and local requirements “to establish a home day care where for nine years she lovingly cared for several children, including their own.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Acord have been cleared by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (Child Protective Services) of any suspicion that their own children were subjected to abuses or neglect in any way.”
Lowe also said the arrest affidavit “reveals little more than a page filled with conflicting claims and contradictions — all of which will be shown to be false.”
“As seen with the Greg Kelly case, Williamson County law enforcement has a well-documented history of rushing to prosecute similar cases and arresting individuals who turn out to be totally innocent.”
“The Acords look forward to addressing these charges at the appropriate time and place,” Lowe said. “Until then, they realize the incendiary nature of these charges and urge everyone to recognize that they are only allegations, made with little supporting evidence and which have not – and will not – be proven by the legal standards we recognize as Texans and Americans.”
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