Woman sentenced to 30 days in jail in N.Ky. day care duct tape case

LUDLOW, Ky. - A woman was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days in jail for her involvement in duct taping a child to the floor at a Northern Kentucky day care about a year ago.

Alicia Lyons pleaded guilty to criminal child abuse charges after police say the pair used gorilla tape to keep an 18 month old child on a mat during a nap last October. The day care, Mustard Seeds Childcare, closed the doors to its Ludlow location in January where the incident occurred.

Lyons was sentenced by Judge Patricia Summe to 30 days in jail on the weekends and five years in diversion along with recommendation for anger management and parenting classes. Judge Summe allowed weekend incarcerations to give Lyons time to be with her own children.

Lyons will also not be allowed to work in child care. Lyons will be allowed to serve her 30 days on weekends only if she chooses.

At the sentencing, Lyons rose to tearfully apologize in court. "I*'m really sorry about this. None of this was meant to happen," said Lyons.

Justina Rogers was sentenced to 12 months conditional discharge, meaning she can not get in trouble for a year or there will be further legal consequences. She admitted to witnessing the taping incident but not stopping it or reporting it to her supervisors.

Lyons was arrested in January and admitted to taping the child to a mat on his stomach in an attempt to calm the child during nap time. Rogers was charged with criminal abuse at a preliminary hearing on Feb. 22 for her alleged role in the taping.

After the sentencing, the victim's mother agreed to speak exclusively with 9 News. "I think the judge did the best she could," said Katherine Johnson.

Johnson's attorney told the court that she was now so afraid of daycare that she'd never put her children in a daycare setting again. "Absolutely not. Never. I don't know if I can trust them again. I just no way. No way," said Johnson.