‘Like a horror movie’: Video of abuse at day care leaves parents shocked

OCILLA, Ga. (WALB/Gray News) - A Georgia day care worker faces charges after she was accused of abusing an infant in January.

The Irwin County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday that Ashley Taylor is being charged with abusing five children under her care.

Officials said Taylor was charged with 14 counts of cruelty to children. The sheriff’s office said the surveillance video only goes back 30 days from the time it was confiscated, but they believe there could be more victims before then.

The Irwin County sheriff told WALB Taylor was arrested on the first account when it was reported. After the video footage was reviewed, she was arrested Friday and charged with an additional 13 counts.

Officials said the ages of the victims ranged from 3 to 13 months old.

The sheriff said each child’s parents were contacted and shown the video of their child being hit. One parent said her child was beaten seven times.

“The first couple of videos, [we] couldn’t even stand to watch it. The videos were like a horror movie,” Sharmone Shelly said. “It didn’t make any type of sense like it was ridiculous, and I never expected that out of them like my kids loved the day care. It was just horrible.”

Jenna Brooks, another parent, told WALB she watched the abuse of her 11-month-old baby in two different videos.

“She was violently shaking the bouncer with her hand and then slaps my baby in the face several times and shoved her pacifier in her mouth very hard, if her mouth was wider, it probably would have gone down her throat,” Brooks said.

Taylor was reportedly released from jail on bond.

Parents said they are in the process of talking with lawyers about what to do next.

Copyright 2023 WALB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.