A Jonesboro daycare owner received probation Wednesday after pleading guilty to felony battery of a 3-year-old child.
Khalilah S. Parks, 48, entered a negotiated guilty plea to one count of second-degree battery, a Class D felony. Second Judicial Circuit Court Judge Scott Ellington sentenced her to 36 months of probation and credited her with 10 days of jail time already served. In addition, Parks was ordered to pay all fines, court costs, and fees at a rate of $75 per month, according to the court’s sentencing order.
The incident occurred at a daycare owned by Parks in the 1200 block of Stone Street in Jonesboro. Police arrested Parks after the mother of a 3-year-old boy reported that her son had been beaten with a ruler while in the daycare’s care. According to a probable cause affidavit, a daycare employee recorded the incident and shared the video with the mother.
The affidavit states that the video depicts a woman raising a ruler above her head and striking the child multiple times. Parks later confirmed in a Mirandized interview that she was the individual in the video. A photograph of the child’s bruising, provided to authorities by the mother, showed injuries consistent with being struck by a standard ruler and appeared to be approximately six days old.
This case raises continued concerns about child safety in local daycare facilities. Jonesboro police and local officials remind parents to remain vigilant and report any suspected abuse or neglect to the authorities.