A woman from West Virginia could spend many years in prison after confessing to biting a child on the face while she was working at a daycare over the summer.
In late September, Mary Alice Bookman, aged 42, admitted guilt to two charges of child abuse causing injury and two charges of assaulting a disabled child related to this incident. These are both serious felony offenses.
To reach this plea deal, two counts of malicious wounding were dropped by the prosecutors, according to the Parkersburg-based NBC affiliate WTAP.
The unsettling events took place on August 22.
At that time, Bookman was employed at the Pleasants County Christian Childcare LLC, located in the small city of St. Marys, along the Ohio River, to the east of Ohio. She was responsible for several children and seemed to have targeted one child in particular, subjecting the child to abuse on two separate occasions on that same day, according to court documents obtained by the TV station.
Daycare owner Kayla Haught stated, "I don't condone what [Bookman] did." She added that all staff members must pass background checks and medical clearances before being hired to work with children.
The daycare continues to operate despite the incident.
Bookman was taken into custody on August 25, according to jail records reviewed by Law&Crime.
In her statements to the TV station, Haught mentioned that Bookman was terminated immediately after the severe allegations were confirmed. The confirmation came through surveillance footage. Another staff member had initially reported the incident, prompting Haught to review the footage herself.
Afterward, she informed the child's parents about the abuse and contacted the West Virginia Child Abuse Hotline and local law enforcement.
Haught emphasized that her business is under strict surveillance with security cameras. She also expressed her astonishment at the incident, considering that Bookman had undergone training on child abuse and reporting.
The most alarming aspect of the incident was a bite mark on the child's face, which lasted for eight days, as detailed in court documents filed by the Pleasants County Prosecutor's Office and obtained by the TV station. Additional injuries to the child were also alleged.
The defendant is currently being held at the North Central Regional Jail. Initially, her bail was set at $80,000 cash bond, but it has since been increased to $400,000 in the form of a property or surety bond, according to Mountain State prison records.
Law & Crime has reached out to the Pleasants County Prosecutor's Office for further information on this matter, but no immediate response has been received.
Bookman's sentencing is scheduled for December 11, and she faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.
In another news, Brian Robinette, a heroic bystander who attempted to rescue a woman from her boyfriend's violent grasp, tragically lost his life when he was shot eight times in a cold-blooded attack. See detailed story
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