A White Plains woman charged with the criminal abuse of an infant was found guilty by a Christian Circuit Court jury Monday.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rick Boling tells the News Edge the jury sentenced 41-year old Amanda Jo Hargis of White Plains to two years in jail after she was charged with criminal abuse for abusing an 8-month old child that she was babysitting that was captured on video.
Hargis was indicted by the Christian County Grand Jury in December 2018. According to the arrest warrant, Hargis was babysitting on August 28, 2018, and contacted the parents that the infant had a bruise on his tongue and that the three-year old sibling had caused the injury with a pair of scissors, which the sibling denied. The parents later reviewed video footage from a camera in the living room which showed Hargis feeding the infant, and then grabbed the child when he started crying. She then reportedly placed both the infant’s arms behind his back and held him in that position. On the same day, Hargis is reportedly seen taking the crying infant to the center of the room where she dropped him from about one foot in the air to the floor, causing a loud thud and more crying from the infant. Hargis was arrested by Hopkinsville Police on the strength of a warrant on August 29 and booked into the Christian County Jail.
Boling says Hargis will be formally sentenced August 28th.
