A daycare worker in Georgia, United States, has been arrested after a one-year-old boy was left with a black eye and swollen face.
The incident happened at Little Blessings Child Care in Bainbridge, near the Florida border, on the child’s first day at the facility.
Yvette Thurston, 54, now faces three counts of first-degree child abuse and one count of aggravated battery.
Cory Weeks, a US Marine and father of the injured child, Clay, posted disturbing images on Facebook.
Clay’s face was bruised, his right cheek swollen, and cuts marked his skin. The photos were hard to look at.
“This is every parent’s worst nightmare, and we had to live it and are still living it,” Weeks wrote.
He said the daycare initially claimed another child caused the injuries with a plastic toy.
But after reviewing surveillance footage, Weeks discovered the truth. “Nothing we saw was for the faint-hearted,” he said.
“The severity of the acts of violence to our son has everyone confident that this was not her first time.”
Surveillance Footage Confirms Abuse
Clay was rushed to Memorial Hospital and Manor for treatment. His older brother Wyatt, 3, also attends the daycare.
Weeks said he trusted the facility to care for his children. “On their first day, that was violated,” he wrote.
“There will be more coming from this, and we will make sure nothing is ‘swept under the rug.’”
Investigators from Decatur County confirmed they reviewed the surveillance footage, which helped build the case.
The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) said the daycare has terminated the employee.
“As our investigation is still in its early stages, DECAL will continue to work closely with law enforcement,” the agency stated.
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