A video showing a former Mississippi daycare worker scaring kids under her care while wearing a horror mask like the one from the "Scream" movie and screaming on their faces went viral and has brought about child abuse charges against five daycare workers.
When the viral video reached the authorities, and they saw how terrified the kids of Lil' Blessings Child Care and Learning Center were, they decided to take action.
In a statement given by Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook, he stated that the County Prosecuting Attorney and the District Attorney met with the parents of the involved kids Monday and enlightened them of the possible criminal charges they could file against the former daycare workers. Parents were also given a chance to open up and share information they had gathered with investigators.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office named the offenders in the felony case Sierra McCandless, Oci-Anna Kilburn, Jennifer Newman, Shyenne Shelton, and Traci Hutson.
They each face three counts of felony child abuse for their role in the horrifying incident while two charges of failure to report abuse and simple assault against a minor, both misdemeanors, were charged against Hutson.
Actions taken
Further, the Monroe County, Ms. Sheriff's Department updated the public in a Facebook post with their actions. They stated that on Tuesday, at least one set of parents had already filed charges for felony child abuse at Monroe County Justice Court.
The next day, Wednesday, a Judge issued warrants against the five daycare workers after multiple sets of parents filed charges on behalf of their children.
All five suspects were in custody in Monroe County Jail within two hours of receiving the warrants.
On the morning of Thursday, four suspects on felony charges made an initial appearance, and Justice Court Judge Sarah Stevens set their bonds.
McCandless and Kilburn's bonds were each set at $20,000 and Newman and Mills at $15,000.
According to the Sheriff's department, the case is open and ongoing. The felony charges will be presented to the Grand Jury, which will decide if the evidence is enough for prosecution.
Outraged parent
"I was in complete shock of what I witnessed. Whether they had a mask on or a mask off, their behavior was unacceptable. My blood pressure was raised. It broke my heart for my child. I was angry. I hope you're enjoying jail and I hope you realize what you have done is serious. It is not a joke and it is nothing to laugh at," expressed Katelyn Johnson, a mom of a child who attends Lil' Blessings.
Sheila Sanders, the daycare facility owner, cannot be reached for comments about the charges of her former workers.
However, Sanders has previously stated that she fired the employees involved immediately after learning about the incident, which she said she was unaware of until she saw the viral video. She also told the newspapers that she does not condone their behavior and action and never has.
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