Lexington Woman Sentenced to 12-year Imprisonment Over Child Abuse Charges
LEXINGTON — A Lexington County woman has been sentenced to a 12-year prison term following her conviction on multiple child physical abuse charges, according to Lexington County’s 11th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s office.
Shayna McKnight, 38, formerly a caregiver at Windsor Academy Child Development Center, faced a four-day trial in Lexington County General Sessions Court. She was found guilty of causing severe physical injury to a child and was convicted on two counts of unlawful conduct toward a child.
Overview of the Case
The charges came to light when the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department was notified about a 10-month-old child being treated for a fractured tibia, also known as the shinbone. An investigation led them back to the daycare center where McKnight worked.
Security footage from March 11, 2022, provided concrete evidence showing McKnight lifting the child from the floor by one arm. The video also portrayed her covering the child’s mouth with a blanket, according to a press release from the solicitor’s office.
Further, the video evidence depicted another incident where McKnight restrained a 9-month-old child by wrapping the infant’s arms, legs, and feet in a blanket before placing him on his stomach in a crib for approximately two hours.
Multiple Charges and Convictions
In addition to the two major cases, McKnight faced charges of child cruelty for other acts of aggression that occurred on three different occasions within the same month. She was convicted on those charges on June 20, 2023.
Upon her conviction, Shayna McKnight was immediately transferred to the South Carolina Department of Corrections to start serving her sentence. Notably, her indictment disqualifies her from the possibility of parole. Comparable to this, McKnight’s conviction and subsequent sentence serve as a stark reminder of the grave consequences child abuse and maltreatment can bring about.
Shayna’s conviction also comes at a time when child protection agencies and law enforcement bodies nationwide have been playing a vigilant role in ensuring the safety of children, especially in care institutions such as daycare centers, to safeguard them from any form of abuse or neglect.
Impact on the Childcare Center
Following the trial, Windsor Academy Child Development Center, where McKnight was employed, has ceased its operations. The daycare center previously offered services for infants and pre-school children. The drastic measure signifies the critical impact these charges and the subsequent convictions have had on the center’s reputation and trust within the community.
