Parent's Worst Nightmare

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A former Boone County therapist has been charged with providing drugs to teenage boys under her care and having sex with them.

Boone County sheriff's deputies arrested Tressie Hayes, 34, of Julian, on Saturday. She was a therapist at the Prestera Center in Danville. The center provides mental health services.

According to a criminal complaint filed May 3, Deputy B.G. Browning interviewed a 17-year-old boy, identified as "C.M" in the complaint, in late December 2010 after the boy was assaulted by Russell Gillenwater, Hayes' ex-husband.

The complaint does not say whether Gillenwater has been charged with assault, and the Daily Mail was not able to determine that through Boone Magistrate Court on Monday.

C.M. told Browning that Hayes threatened him, "saying that if he ever told anyone what she was doing, she would have Mr. Gillenwater to kill him," the complaint reads.

The boy said he and Hayes went on "drug runs" together and smoked marijuana, snorted pain pills and had sex at her home, according to the complaint. Hayes supplied the drugs, the complaint reports.

C.M. also said he had a sexual relationship with Hayes' 13-year-old daughter and said Hayes was aware of the relationship, according to the complaint. He told Browning that Hayes also was aware of her daughter's sexual relationship with her current 19-year-old boyfriend, the complaint says.

Another of Hayes' alleged victims, a 15-year-old identified as "A.B.," told Browning and another officer that he also made drug runs, smoked marijuana and took pain pills with Hayes, who supplied the drugs on all but one occasion, according to the complaint.

Hayes once crushed a pill on her desk at the Prestera Center for her and A.B. to snort, the complaint said.

A.B. also witnessed Hayes' daughter and preteen son smoking marijuana and witnessed sex between C.M. and Hayes as well as between Hayes' daughter and boyfriend, the complaint says.

"He said they even had a discussion about it, and (Hayes) was laughing about it," Browning wrote in the complaint.

Browning went to Hayes' home to discuss the allegations, but she refused to talk to the deputy before consulting with her attorney, Wendle Cook, the complaint said.

When Browning tried to make an appointment to talk with Cook and Hayes together, Cook said Hayes had not hired him, the complaint says.

Posted By: mskamish Report Abuse


If this had been committed by a man He would have been charged with Rape. I think this should be considered a rape case given the fact that Mind-Altering drugs were used to perhaps ease the anxiety associated with the crimes being committed??


Posted By: Stick2theTruth Report Abuse


If by chance would anyone consider this is not exactly clear cut? I personally know a lot of parents and find it hard to even think that they would not have checked up on this woman, most probably referred and recommended therapist, Did the child or children have any noticeable issues prior to this? I hope for someone to use some commonsense. I'm not perfect nor will I ever be. It's just 2 easy to attack, personally I don't believe everything someone says; who or whomever they are.


Posted By: knows nothing Report Abuse


mskamish: She is charged with sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in position of trust to a child. There is no RAPE statute. Same thing - she has been charged with a sex crime


Posted By: habibhaddad Report Abuse


How else was she going to weaken their resolve? Another great story of custodial abuse in the Appalachians.


Posted By: WEST VIRGINIAN Report Abuse


It is amazing that these Adult predators of young people think that the victims will not talk.