The lead detective in the case against a former daycare worker who admitted ripping hair from the scalp of an 18-month-old autistic girl said that incident was part of a "pattern of abuse."
At a sentencing Thursday for Kristian Hemmitt, Cincinnati police Detective Alexander McCoy said there were multiple instances of abuse involving the girl as well as other children at the now-closed West Price Hill daycare.
Video of the abuse, McCoy told Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Jody Luebbers, "was the hardest that I've ever had to watch."
Prosecutor:Daycare worker accused of ripping out child's hair, hiding evidence
"She has patches of hair missing from her scalp, the size of my fist," McCoy said. "That is what I had to look at."
Kristian Hemmitt sentenced to three years in prison
Luebbers sentenced Hemmitt, 28, to three years in prison. In a statement that was part of a presentence report, according to Luebbers, Hemmitt denied being physically abusive to children.
"But you were … repeatedly," Luebbers said. "It's sickening to watch the video. Sickening to look at photos of what you did to this innocent child."
The incident involving ripping out the girl's hair happened on March 3, 2022 at Small Kids Adventures Learning Center on Glenway Avenue. The center closed last year following an administrative hearing process involving its license, officials have previously said.
News:Daycare closed pending police investigation after employee accused of hurting child
McCoy said he reviewed surveillance video from the center going back nearly a month before the incident. He said he created a spreadsheet that was multiple pages documenting abuse involving the autistic girl as well as other children in Hemmitt's care.
She pleaded guilty to child abuse charges involving only the autistic girl.
Prosecutors said Hemmitt was consistently physically aggressive toward the girl and would leave her "unnecessarily restrained for hours" and would withhold food from her.
"This is every mother's worst nightmare," Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Fischer said.
'I wasn't thinking'
Hemmitt's attorney, Rich Wendel II, said in court that Hemmitt is intellectually disabled.
Her mother, Angela, said Hemmitt had worked at daycares for about a decade after graduating from high school. She said her daughter may be 28, "but her mind isn't 28."
She said the daycare's staff should have supervised her better: "They knew her mental abilities."
In court, Hemmitt apologized, saying, "I really did not mean to do what I did to that little girl."
When Luebbers asked Hemmitt if she had seen photos or video of what she did to the girl, Hemmitt said, "Yes, ma'am."
"Explain to me how and why you would treat a child that way who was entrusted in your care," Luebbers said.
"I wasn't thinking," Hemmitt replied. "I wasn't in the right state of mind."
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