Babysitter charged with sexually assaulting boy in Macomb Township, officials say

Man is in jail on $150,000 bond, officials say

MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A man offering up his services as a babysitter on Care.com is in jail Monday night as he is accused of sexually molesting a five-year-old in his care.

The alleged sexual assault happened in Macomb Township on Saturday.

When the child’s parents got home, the little boy told them what happened and was backed up by another child in the home at the time.

The website, which serves as a clearing house for people looking for babysitters, elder care, or house help, has already removed his profile, and they are contacting any families that may have had contact with him

Saturday night, the mother and father of two young children came home around 8 p.m. to hear their five-year-old son tell them that the man hired to babysit him and another older child in the house inappropriately touched him.

The parents called the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department that night, and an investigation was underway.

That babysitter, 36-year-old Mark Baum of Southfield, has been charged with two felony counts of criminal sexual conduct. The parents found Baum on the Care.com website, where he claimed to have 10 years of experience watching children.

The platform responded to our inquiry immediately with this statement:


About the Authors:

Brandon Carr is a digital content producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with WDIV Local 4 since November 2021. Brandon is the 2015 Solomon Kinloch Humanitarian award recipient for Community Service.