DeKalb County child care worker sentenced to 5 years in prison for child abuse, co-defendants given probation

In DeKalb County, three former daycare workers at Appletree Learning Center were tried for child abuse. The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office has charged them with cruelty.

Alexis Renee Swain, 28, Cori Chambers, 21, and Cassandra Artis Chambers, 56, were charged with child abuse. Swain pleaded guilty to 29 counts of cruelty, Cori Chambers to five counts and Cassandra Chambers to one count of failure to report abuse. The case began after a parent noticed injuries on a child and surveillance footage showed Swain and Cori Chambers hitting and pushing children.

As outlined in Georgia law, those who weave the tapestry of child care are woven into the responsibility of “mandatory reporters,” an unyielding thread in the fabric of protection for youth. The charges filed in the case document the experiences of 13 children, ranging in age from just six months to three years. Cherretta Hull, 78, is still awaiting her 19 charges as her case continues to ferment in the legal system, as reported by the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office

Cassandra Chambers was sentenced to 12 months probation and 80 hours of community service. Cori Chambers was sentenced to 10 years probation, including 120 days of house arrest and 80 hours of community service. Alexis Renee Swain was sentenced to 10 years, including 5 years in prison. All three are prohibited from working with children, except their own.

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston reflected on the outcome with both pride and dismay, saying, “The defendants in this case victimized some of DeKalb County’s most precious citizens, many of whom were too young to tell anyone about the abuse they suffered,” as detailed in a statement obtained by the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. “I am proud of my team’s hard work to hold these defendants accountable for their reprehensible actions. However, we are appalled by the injustice of the sentence imposed on Defendant Swain. We feel that the sentence is far too short given the long-term and ongoing effects of the abuse these children and their families endured.”

The case was handled by the Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children Unit. Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lauren Caldwell led the prosecution with assistance from Shannon Hodder, Waine Pinckney and Yuzellie Garcia. Former DeKalb County Police Detective Monesha Hughes, now a District Attorney Investigator, led the initial investigation.