Ohio daycare employee sentenced after taping toddler’s eyes, binding arms

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An Ohio daycare employee accused of terrorizing toddlers in her care — together with repeatedly binding a 2-year-old with tape and leaving the kid face down beneath a blanket — has been sentenced to years behind bars.

Katelyn Ann Strohacker, an worker at Over the Rainbow Youngsters’s Heart in Licking County, was convicted on 31 counts, together with kidnapping and little one endangerment, after getting into a no-contest plea. She was sentenced to eight to 12 years in jail, in accordance with court docket information obtained by Fox Information Digital.

The case started in August 2025 when a involved mum or dad raised alarms in regards to the therapy of a toddler.

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A view of Over the Rainbow Youngsters’s Heart in Licking County, Ohio. (Google Maps)

In accordance with court docket paperwork, Strohacker used painter’s tape to bind the kid and admitted to finishing up the abuse on a number of events. In a single incident, the kid was left restrained till a coworker intervened.

Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage and located the abuse was not remoted. Authorities say video confirmed Strohacker repeatedly abusing not less than eight youngsters over a number of weeks, together with pushing, kicking and yanking toddlers.

In a single incident, prosecutors say she purposely shut a baby’s finger in a cupboard door.

"The defendant continuously shoved or yanked [the child], together with one incident on July 11, 2025, the place the defendant purposely shut the sufferer's finger in a cupboard door," as famous in court docket paperwork.

Officers say the influence on the youngsters was extreme. A number of victims suffered evening terrors, separation nervousness and behavioral points.

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Investigators famous Strohacker had labored on the daycare for greater than three years and had acquired "all crucial coaching and persevering with schooling."

Throughout Friday’s sentencing listening to, emotional mother and father spoke out in regards to the lasting trauma.

One mom stated she hopes Strohacker is "by no means allowed to be alone with youngsters ever once more," in accordance with WSYX.

"Could God have mercy in your soul, however I can not — as a result of we pray he does not," the mom stated.

One other mum or dad described the toll on her younger daughter.

"For our daughter, she’s been trapped in a cycle of sleep aggression and evening terrors at two years outdated," the mum or dad stated.

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Police sirens are pictured on this undated photograph. (iStock)

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Strohacker, who was going through a doable 87 to 92.5 years behind bars, remained largely silent in court docket, responding solely to the choose’s questions, in accordance with KENS5.

Her lawyer delivered a quick apology to the victims’ households on her behalf.

The Licking County Sheriff's Workplace couldn't instantly be reached by Fox Information Digital for remark.

Sophia Compton is a Author at Fox Information Digital. Sophia was beforehand a enterprise reporter overlaying finance, vitality and tourism and has expertise as a TV information producer. She graduated with a journalism diploma in 2021 from the College of Hawaii at Manoa. Story ideas may be despatched to sophia.compton@fox.com.