ZELIENOPLE — One part of the investigation into Glade Run Lutheran Services looks to be over.

No criminal charges will be filed against Glade Run after an investigation into child-on-child sexual abuse at one of its facilities, Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger said Wednesday afternoon.

“We can’t establish that any of the adults actually knew what was going on,” Goldinger said. “There’s a concern about being able to prove that they abused their duty of care of these children.”

Glade Run is a residential treatment facility that houses nearly 100 youths ages 8 to 21. Its 56-bed facility was stripped of its license by the state Department of Human Services after it was found that seven youths between the ages of 8 and 13, mostly male, engaged in sexual activity with each other while personnel were not adequately performing their duties.

“There’s no evidence at this point that any of it was not consensual,” Goldinger said. “We don’t believe we can prove it in court. It doesn’t look like there’s going to be anything coming on this.”

Glade Run has appealed to the state over its license being revoked.

A prehearing conference by the state was conducted Nov. 10 to specify the issues on appeal.

Executive Director Sheila Talarico said the facility is preparing for its upcoming hearing. The DHS was unavailable to give details on the hearing date.

The campus has three other facilities that will remain open.

The 56-bed facility is the largest on campus and has four cottages with 43 residents.

Three of those cottages are female quarters and the other is a male cottage, according to Glade Run’s website.

If it loses the appeal, Glade Run will be forced to close its facility and children will be moved elsewhere.

Zelienople police had been investigating the matter for nearly four months.

Police Chief Jim Miller said this was the first he had heard of the District Attorney’s office’s decision and was otherwise unavailable for comment.

The investigation started after a child receiving medical treatment was found to have injuries consistent with sexual abuse. Police and ChildLine investigators conducted interviews with the children involved.

“We haven’t really had this sort of situation occur with children that I’m aware of,” he said.

Neither the police department nor the district attorney’s office will be part of the state appeal hearing.

“From our perspective, unless something comes to light that we’re not aware of right now, then we’re done with it,” Goldinger said.