Lawsuit alleges home nurse abused at least 2 children in her care in Bucks, Delaware counties
According to a lawsuit filed by a Delaware County family, their medically compromised child needed a compassionate nurse, and instead, they were sent a monster.
Cindy Dresser was charged with assaulting and endangering a 1-year-old in Delaware County, but somehow, months later, she started a new job in Bucks County and has now been charged with abusing a child there.
Video from May 2025, captured by the camera they mounted above their daughter's crib, prompted parents in Newtown Square to call police.
"They were horrified to see kind of what was transpiring on that RING video," Sam Dordick, an attorney representing the parents, said.
In the video, you can see the nurse, Desser, slam the 1-year-old child back down into her crib, then cover her up with a blanket, walk away, and when the child sits back up, walk over and push her down again so forcefully that it rattled the crib and knocked over medical equipment.
"There's no better way to put it other than she's choke slamming this child," Dordick said.
According to the lawsuit filed by the family, Desser was placed in their home to care for their medically compromised daughter. The girl was born with spina bifida and other complications, including missing part of her abdominal wall and her left lung. She requires around-the-clock care, and Team Select Home Care assigned Desser as their daughter's at-home night nurse, a position Desser requested, according to the lawsuit.
"It gave her the opportunity to prey upon these innocent children," Dordick said.
The lawsuit alleges Desser was caught sleeping through medical alerts and not taking required vital signs. The family reported the physical incident to police, and Desser faces several charges in Delaware County, including aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Months later, in Bensalem, she was charged with endangering the welfare of a child while working overnight for a different agency. Detectives said surveillance video showed her slamming another medically fragile child in a crib and withholding the child's breathing tube for an extended period of time, causing the child to struggle to breathe.
Desser is currently in custody in Bucks County.
CBS News Philadelphia asked both home health agencies Desser worked for about these incidents and what kind of background checks they have in place. We have not heard back yet. Desser's attorney had no comment.
Attorneys for the family in Delco believe there could be more victims out there and are asking families to report any potential abuse to authorities.
