Former Daycare Workers Receive Jail Sentences for Child Abuse

Former Daycare Workers Receive Jail Sentences for Child Abuse

Two former daycare workers at Robins Air Force Base have been sentenced to jail time after being found guilty of child abuse.

At a Glance

  • A federal grand jury returned a 30-count indictment against two former daycare employees and the facility’s former director.
  • The employees, Zhanay Kiana Flynn and Antanesha Mone Fritz, faced multiple charges including cruelty to children and simple battery.
  • The former director, Latona Mae Lambert, was also charged with failure to report child abuse.
  • Flynn and Fritz have been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to cruelty to children in the second degree.
  • The investigation was conducted by multiple federal agencies, including the FBI.

Details of the Indictment

A federal grand jury has indicted two former employees and the former director of a daycare facility at Robins Air Force Base, located in Warner Robins, Georgia. The indictment includes 30 counts ranging from cruelty to children to failure to report suspected child abuse. The accused workers, Zhanay Kiana Flynn and Antanesha Mone Fritz, faced grave allegations for actions that took place during January and February 2021.

Flynn, 27, from Centerville, and Fritz, 29, from Tanner, Alabama, were each charged with various counts of cruelty to children and simple battery. Both defendants faced 18 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree and 6 counts of cruelty to children in the second degree. Additionally, they were each charged with 3 counts of simple battery and 1 count of failure to report suspected child abuse. Lambert, the former director, was charged with 1 count of failing to report suspected child abuse.

Inhumane Acts Exposed

The 2022 indictment alleged multiple forms of abuse by Flynn and Fritz, including striking children, coercing them to fight each other, and spraying them in the face with a cleaning liquid. Other disturbing incidents included threatening children, kicking them into walls, and physically hurting them with various objects. These despicable acts caused significant mental and physical distress to the children under their care.

Additional charges of simple battery were cited against both Flynn and Fritz, including incidents where they lifted cots with sleeping children, struck toys out of children’s hands, and confined children to small spaces. These shocking revelations point to a pattern of deliberate and calculated cruelty.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Flynn and Fritz eventually pleaded guilty to cruelty to children in the second degree on May 9, 2023, in exchange for having other charges dismissed. Although both expressed remorse and sought probation, federal Judge C. Ashley Royal denied their request. Their sentences were reduced from 12 months to six months due to cooperation with the ongoing investigation and efforts in therapy to prevent future misconduct.

“I truly loved what I did,” Flynn stated. “I loved caring for children. Caregiving was a big part of my life.” She also spoke about how she “lost herself” after losing her mother.

Sources

  1. Former Robins Air Force Base daycare workers get jail time for child abuse on base
  2. Former Robins Air Force Base Daycare Employees Indicted for Cruelty to Children, Simple Battery, Failure to Report Suspected Child Abuse
  3. Air Force daycare workers allegedly forced kids to fight each other

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