Utah babysitter who was caught kicking infants in the ribs sentenced to a month in jail
A babysitter from Utah has been sentenced to a month in jail, along with a fine of $5,000, 500 hours of community service and anger management classes for kicking, hitting and covering the mouth and nose of two children she was babysitting. The 21-year-old McKenna Newell had her charges reduced after she pleaded guilty to child abuse. She will also be on probation for 36 months.
Newell was caught on a nanny cam set up by the twins' father abusing the children as she was babysitting them. According to court documents, the video is said to have shown Newell putting a blanket over the children's faces in an attempt to muffle their cries. She was also seen shaking the children. Later in the video, when the child cries again, she is seen kicking her in her ribs and is seen hitting the child. She then goes on to attack the other child as well.
Prosecutors said that she had been "aggressively causing her head to bounce forward" in a video from the same morning while sitting on the couch and that she kicked the baby "several times as she laid on the floor". Newell told the police that she was "frustrated" and "didn't know what to do". She also said that she didn't recall the attacks.
West Jordan Police Sergeant JC Holt said, "She lost her patience. She didn’t deal with it in a healthy manner. I think that all of us as adults, we can be susceptible to that at times. It’s not excusable and it’s not okay, that’s why we handled the case the way that we did." He added that it was a parent's worst fear. "‘It’s our worst fear as a parent that something like that would happen to your child, especially with somebody you know that you’ve left that child in their care."
The children were medically cleared as not seriously harmed at the Primary Children's Hospital.