Wright-Patt CDC Employee Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

On August 4, 2026, Department of Homeland Security (HSI) special agents arrested an employee of one of Wright-Patterson AFB’s Child Development Centers (CDC) on federal charges of possession of child sexual abuse material connected to online activity that originated in Florida. Diego McDonald, 23, was arrested after federal officers executed a search warrant of his home. Federal officials notified 88th Air Base Wing officials the following day, August 7, after which Mr. McDonald’s employment was terminated and his base access revoked.

At the time of this writing, Mr. McDonald has been extradited to Florida to face federal charges of producing child pornography, with an anticipated court date of November 7. He remains in custody in an Orange County jail.

The Air Force’s Response

As HSI has the lead on the investigation and charges will be prosecuted in federal court, the Air Force’s main concern is the safety of children at the South CDC where Mr. McDonald previously worked, as well as supporting families and CDC employees.

Base leaders acted swiftly once notified. On the day following McDonald’s arrest, August 8, base officials notified Wright Field South CDC employees and families both electronically and via letter of the arrest, Mr. McDonald’s status, and what actions were being taken. The letter noted that the Air Force’s internal investigation is being performed by the Air Force Office of Special Investigation (AFOSI).

Base officials conducted two town halls for parents, the first on August 8 and a second on September 12. Senior base leaders were present to answer questions and provide updates, including the Base Commander, Mission Support Commander, Force Support Director, and CDC Director, as well as a host of helping and advisory agencies such as Chaplains, Legal Office, Military and Family Life Counselors, and members of the Family Advocacy Program team.

One of the parents who attended the town halls remarked that the base commander “pulled out all the works,” adding, “they could have waited until Monday but didn’t.”

In the town hall and in the letter provided to parents, base officials stressed that all CDC employees go through local, state, and federal vetting as part of the hiring process. They also made a point to say that staff members are not authorized to leave the facility with children unless granted specific permission by the parent or guardian. Finally, in response to questions from MyBaseGuide, a base official reaffirmed that

“The safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care remain a top priority, and we will continue to take appropriate protective measures, support our CDC community, and release verified information as the investigation permits.”

In her September 8 letter to parents from the 88th Mission Support Group Commander obtained by MyBaseGuide, Colonel Marietta Sanders underscored base leaders’ commitment, writing,

“We understand that this situation continues to bring anxiety and uncertainty. Caring for your children is a solemn responsibility, and we are steadfast in our commitment to taking every appropriate action to protect our children and support our families.”

The AFOSI is conducting an investigation to determine what, if any, criminal activity may have occurred on base. This will involve reviewing video from the Wright-Patterson CDCs, as well as interviews with staff and potentially parents. Neither base nor AFOSI officials would comment on the investigation since it is ongoing.

At the September 12th town hall, base officials did mention that they were able to obtain 90 days of video from the CDC facility, and that review was ongoing since it was hundreds of hours of video. Like all CDC’s across the Defense Department, the Wright-Patterson CDCs are rigorous in following local, state, and federal standards. That includes cameras in each classroom, hallway, entrances, etc., as well as staff vetting and regular background checks.

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How Are Child Development Center Personnel Vetted?

Department of the Air Force Instruction (DAFI) 34-144, Chapter 10 (Personnel), describes the vetting and background screening of personnel.

The key requirements for Child Development Center (CDC) and Child and Youth Program (CYP) staff vetting include pre-employment background checks as well as routine annual checks. Mandatory background screening must be initiated and cleared prior to an individual's first day of work. As part of the application and hiring process, candidates undergo a criminal history background check and fingerprinting.

The candidate fills out a DD Form 2291 Basic Criminal History and Statement of Admission, which then initiates the background investigation. The local Nonappropriated Funds Personnel Office conducts the local background checks with Security Forces, Family Advocacy, and Drug and Alcohol Program Advisors. In parallel with the local check, child care providers also submit to a “Tier 1” federal background investigation. This investigation is performed by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), which is the same organization that performs security clearance investigations. DCSA’s investigation includes checking the candidate’s fingerprints in the FBI fingerprint checks, the state criminal history repository (SCHR) checks, and the Tier 1 suitability investigation, which includes interviews with references.

Each year, the employee renews their DD Form 2981 for a local background check and, every five years, undergoes a re-investigation by DCSA. Employees are also required to submit to annual drug testing, mandatory vaccinations, and regular training. As noted above, child development centers across DoD are heavily monitored, with cameras in every classroom and public space.

What Parents Are Saying

An Air Force spouse with a child at a Wright-Pat CDC spoke with MyBaseGuide on the condition of anonymity. She said that she appreciated the transparency and effort by base leaders, and that she did not plan to remove her child from the CDC.

Still, the shock to the Wright-Patterson military community has been palpable. After the first town hall, she explained that the emotion of the moment was visible. Attendees reported that at the end of the two-hour event, some parents were observed with tears, hugging each other for comfort.

Other parents vented their frustration and anguish online. In one of the Wright Pat community forums on Facebook, one parent remarked,

“My child was in his classroom; I quite literally feel SICK.”

Another commented that Mr. McDonald was their child’s “fill-in teacher” and punctuated their comment with the “zipper face” emoji (“no comment”). Other parents questioned how Mr. McDonald passed background checks to get hired in the first place, and others expressed relief that the base leadership acted so quickly.

In an interview with MyBaseGuide, a parent of a child in the Wright-Patterson expressed confidence in the leadership based on their handling of the situation, but has questions about how they will prevent this from recurring. Questions centered around who is monitoring the CCTV and what steps are taken to ensure standards are being maintained. The same sentiment was expressed by other parents at both town halls and online.

Investigations and Reports Point to Gaps

Employees in DoD Child and Youth Programs go through a vetting process that is nearly identical to that of those receiving security clearances. That process, of course, only catches people who already have criminal or other records indicating their lack of suitability. If an employee has no negative information in criminal or civil databases, then no amount of vetting will catch them before they commit a crime. Abuse does occur at CDCs, but exact numbers and types of events are not publicly disclosed.

There is no official report that characterizes abuse or neglect at CDCs specifically, since most IG and GAO reports combine child care providers at the CDCs, home care providers, and others who come in contact with minors, such as coaches, parents, and strangers. The most recent data comes from a 2025 Office of the Secretary of Defense Family Advocacy Program Report on Child Abuse and Neglect in the Military for Fiscal Year 2024.

In that report, the Department noted that for the past seven years the rate of abuse and neglect incidents per 1,000 military children had varied “minimally,” but that in 2024 the rate of reports declined slightly to 13.5 down from 14.3 per 1,000 military children. It also noted that the rate of unique victims, meaning new reports, not repeat reports on the same child, also decreased slightly from 7.0 to 6.5 per 1,000 military children. What all these numbers mean is that, with slight variations from year to year, the number of incidents has remained fairly constant over the past decade. Again, these reports include child abuse allegations in the home, school, and elsewhere, and in fact it appears that most of these reports were reports of child abuse outside of CDCs.

Still, incidents do occur with enough regularity to warrant a letter from the Senate and a DoD IG report. In June 2024, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), in her capacity serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote the Secretary of Defense and the service Secretaries to express her displeasure about management of DoD CDCs. She noted that the Army specifically had directed the Army to bolster guidance on reporting incidents, but that policy was concealed behind a “Controlled Unclassified Information” barrier that prevented dependents from reading it.

She also noted that the Navy had failed to inform parents when employees were disciplined for abuse, noting two specific cases: one at China Lake and one at Ford Island (Pearl Harbor). Finally, while acknowledging staffing shortages and low pay are real issues, she pressed the services on “inadequate and inconsistent policies to increase accountability.” Senator Warren then requested prompt responses from the services to fifteen questions centered around policy consistency DoD-wide, what policies were in place during two specific events she described in her letter, and how information is provided to or made available to parents of children in the CDCs.

The most recent DoD Inspector General Report, dated June 30, 2026, noted that gaps remain in the management of DoD Child and Youth Programs department-wide. The IG found that of the employees they interviewed at 10 CDCs across 5 installations, there was inconsistent knowledge and procedures for reviewing, communicating, and acting on abuse allegations at the CDCs (the “Incident Status Determination”). The “Incident Status Determination” (ISD) is a formal, DoD-mandated process for reviewing complaints of neglect and abuse at CDCs and elsewhere. It typically involves senior command officials, force/community/fleet support leaders, base legal, and family advocacy. The IG noted gaps and non-uniformity in training, procedures for notification, gaps in parental notification, and inconsistent administrative processes for documenting incidents.

The IG made two significant recommendations. First, the IG recommended the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (DASD(M&R)) develop joint training for consistency across the services, and for the Air Force specifically to rewrite its published guidance to be in alignment with current DoD guidance.

The DASD (M&R) concurred and is working on publishing new guidance just as the IG recommended. The Department of the Air Force (DAF), however, nonconcurred, disputing the requirement and stating that ISD’s were being used “outside their intended purpose.” The Air Force’s response further stated that the Air Force Surgeon General had removed the requirement from Department of the Air Force Instruction 40-301. The DoD IG responded that the DAF had not furnished any documentation that OSD had waived the requirement, and that the DAF “remains out of compliance with DoDI 6400.06”, which is the DoD’s instruction governing response to domestic abuse.

What Parents Should Know

While the services clearly have gaps in reporting, training, and how they communicate with parents, it’s also safe to say that most people believe that the vast majority of CDC employees are dedicated professionals who love “their” kids. Walk into any CDC today, and you will clearly see the cameras, the security protocols, and the seriousness that most CDC leaders take in meeting the highest standards of care for the children in their charge.

However, if history is an indicator, there will be those who find gaps in the system and attempt to do harm to the children. In the case of Mr. McDonald, the alleged crimes happened online and away from his workplace. That’s small comfort to the families who place their most treasured family members, and the most vulnerable, in the care of strangers so that they are able to serve their country. The best protection parents and other employees can provide for their children is to remain vigilant and always be aware of their child’s behavior and appearance.

Some of the most commonly cited signs of abuse are behavioral shifts that don’t fit the child’s age, unexplained bruises, injuries, or torn/stained clothing that is not typical of normal play. It could also include verbal or play-based disclosures like “I don’t like the way (person) plays with me” or using words or describing acts that are not age-appropriate. Experts warn that a single bruise or learned expletive is not necessarily cause for concern; nonetheless, parents should remain watchful and aware. A full list of warning signs can be found at the RAINN website.

If you or a loved one has experienced sexual abuse or assault, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) 24/7 hotline is available at 800-656-4673 (HOPE).

Note: Parents’ names were withheld for privacy.