Five day care employees in Mississippi are facing charges, including child abuse, after video surfaced showing one of them wearing a scary mask and scaring young children.
According to the Monroe County’S Sheriff’s Office, Sierra McCandless, Oci-Anna Kilburn Jennifer Newman and Shyenne Shelton face three felony counts of child abuse.
Traci Hutson is charged with two misdemeanors including a simple assault against a minor.
In the video the worker is seen wearing a Halloween mask similar to the one from the “Scream” movie series. The worker appears to intentionally scare the children. At one point in the 2 minute video, the worker is seen chasing and grabbing a toddler.
RELATED: PHOTOS: Man caught trying to smuggle Fentanyl in candy boxes
RELATED: Which doll is the creepiest? Deschutes Historical Museum wants your vote
Kaitlyn Johnson says her 2-year-old son is still showing signs of trauma and hardly sleeping through the night. She had this message for the arrested daycare workers
“I hope you’re enjoying jail. And I hope you realize what you’ve done is serious and it’s not a joke and it’s nothing to laugh at. And may you get what you deserve,” said Johnson.
The owner of the center, who hasn’t been charged, says she wasn’t aware of what was happening. She added that the behavior of the workers is not tolerated.
The sheriff is hoping others might think twice before pulling a similar stunt.
“Just the attention, you know, that’s been given to this at this point might keep something like this from happening or people to look into what’s going on, you know, in their daycare facilities,” said Sheriff Kevin Crook.
A grand jury will meet next year to decide whether there’s enough evidence to indict them on felony charges for the case to move forward.
