By: Devin Fry
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Two women who operated a Jamestown daycare face felony child abuse charges after an investigation revealed physical abuse of children and the illegal administration of melatonin to make children sleep during nap time.
Karen Lynn Schempp, 41, and Kaylee Lynn Cumber, 33, each face felony counts of child neglect or abuse in connection with incident’s at Lil’ Explorer’s Daycare. Both are scheduled for initial court appearances on December 3.
The investigation began April 22 when Schempp took her 8-year-old daughter to Jamestown Regional Medical Center with a head contusion. Schempp initially blamed an employee for the injury, claiming they had pulled the child to the ground.
Video evidence reveals abuse
Police obtained a search warrant for the daycare’s surveillance system on April 25. Video footage revealed multiple incidents of abuse, according to court documents.
On April 17 at 11:14 a.m., surveillance video shows Cumber dragging a 4-year-old boy by the arm from a play area to the kitchen. As she passed through the dining room, Cumber reportedly slapped the child in the face. The slap was loud enough to be heard on the video.
The child fell to the ground and was visibly upset, according to court documents. Schempp was present in the kitchen at the time, looking at her phone. She glanced up when the child was brought in, then immediately returned to the phone without reacting.
Additional video shows another child having food forcefully removed from her mouth on two occasions. Cumber can also be seen slapping the same child in the mouth in a video from April 24.
Hidden melatonin discovered
During the inspection, investigators found bottles of melatonin hidden in the daycare’s bathroom and kitchen. A 6-year-old child told investigators, “Ms. Kay gives us treats after lunch” and pointed to a bottle of ZzzQuil melatonin gummies in a bathroom changing station drawer.
