Image sources: Anthony Alcorn, as published by Dayton Daily News. Google Street View of Graceworks Enhanced Living, © Google, via Google Maps.
On September 16, 2025, police were called to an alley behind 404 Burkhardt Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, after a sexual assault was reported. Court records state that Anthony W. Alcorn, 69, a transport driver for Graceworks, an assisted living facility, was seen assaulting a woman with developmental disabilities in the back of a company van.
According to police, the woman was in Alcorn’s care at the time. She is a patient at Graceworks Enhanced Living, a program operated by Graceworks Lutheran Services that provides “24/7 residential care, day programming and non-medical transportation for those living with developmental and intellectual disabilities.”
According to WHIO, several other developmentally disabled adults were also in the van during the alleged assault.
The Intervention
Dayton resident Travis Underwood discovered the alleged assault while searching for his runaway dog, Picasso. He had left his back gate open in case the dog returned, but later noticed it had been closed. Suspicious, he went to investigate and saw a blue van parked in the alley.
What he saw made Underwood feel sick to his stomach.
“‘It made me start crying and throw up,’” he told WHIO. “It was just a hard thing to even realize, like, ‘is this really happening? Is this really going on?’”
Underwood said he walked to the back of the van and saw a woman being assaulted. Shocked, he began recording video to preserve evidence. When confronted, the suspect denied the accusations, hurried to dress the victim, and tried to leave. Underwood says he removed the keys from the ignition and asked others nearby to help block the van so Alcorn couldn’t escape. A friend called 911.
He explained to Dayton 24/7 Now that he continued livestreaming at police instruction, staying at the scene until officers arrived. Describing how Alcorn reacted when caught, Underwood recalled:
“He kept trying to beg and plead… like he was a kid that got caught for stealing: ‘I won’t do it again. This is my first time.’ I didn’t believe anything he said. I could tell this wasn’t his first time. I could tell he was a sexual deviant, a predator, and he needed to be stopped.”
While video evidence can be important in investigations, it is never appropriate to livestream a sexual assault to social media. Survivors deserve privacy and dignity, and evidence can be preserved without exposing them to further harm.
Reflecting afterward, Underwood said the experience left him shaken and enraged:
“I was just infuriated. Like I can’t believe that a human being would do this to another human being and has probably done it numerous times before. And I just, I just put myself in her situation. She’s nonverbal. Is she just screaming in her head like, ‘Help me’?…We have no idea what she’s thinking.” (Dayton 24/7 Now)
You can watch the full interview here.
The Criminal Charges Against Alcorn
Alcorn has been charged with two counts of kidnapping, rape of an impaired victim, and gross sexual imposition. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges at his arraignment in Dayton Municipal Court. His bond was set at $500,000 cash or surety only, with GPS monitoring if released. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 26, 2025. Dayton police are continuing to investigate the alleged crime.
Graceworks said that Alcorn was terminated immediately after his arrest.
Why Residents With Disabilities Are Especially Vulnerable
Survivors of sexual assault deserve privacy and dignity. Evidence can and should be preserved in ways that do not risk exposing victims to further harm. These principles are especially important in residential care settings, where survivors may face unique barriers and heightened risks.
Survivors who live in residential care often depend on staff for transportation, meals, medication, and daily support. This reliance can make them especially vulnerable if caregivers abuse their position of trust. For residents living with communication, mobility, or cognitive challenges, asking for help or reporting abuse can be especially difficult — a reality that predators may take advantage of.
Graceworks Lutheran Services is the parent organization that operates Graceworks Enhanced Living along with other care programs. As such, Graceworks is responsible for ensuring safe hiring, staff training, and proper supervision across all of its services. That includes safeguards — such as requiring two staff members to accompany vulnerable residents or installing cameras in transport vans — to help prevent abuse and ensure accountability.
When institutions such as assisted living facilities or group homes fail to properly screen, train, and supervise staff, they place residents at serious risk. Everyone in their care deserves protection, dignity, and safety — and when organizations fall short, civil law provides a way to hold them accountable.
Civil Accountability
The criminal case against Anthony Alcorn will determine whether he is punished under Ohio law, but criminal charges do not address the long-term impact on survivors. Healing requires access to therapy, medical care, and resources that support recovery.
Civil action can play an important role by providing survivors with financial support and exposing systemic failures. Lawsuits can push institutions to strengthen policies, improve oversight, and better protect vulnerable residents. Significant trust is placed in residential care facilities — and when that trust is broken, civil law provides a path to justice and meaningful change.
Andreozzi + Foote: Representing Survivors Nationwide
At Andreozzi + Foote, we represent survivors of sexual abuse nationwide. Our team has decades of experience holding institutions accountable for enabling abuse.
Our attorneys approach each case with compassion and a commitment to justice. Through civil litigation, we help survivors and their families secure the resources they need to heal and drive institutions to implement stronger protections for those in their care.
If you or someone you love were harmed by Anthony Alcorn or by a staff member in any care facility, know that you have a voice, and you deserve to be heard.
To understand your legal options, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.
