'My baby was screaming': Daycare worker forced 1-year-old's eyes shut with painter's tape, left her tied up 'face down under a blanket' as she terrorized other children

An Ohio daycare idiosyncratic is headed to situation aft she admitted to wrapping "painter's tape" astir the eyes, feet and hands of a 1-year-old miss portion besides abusing different young children to the constituent wherever they began having "sleep issues" and "night terrors."

Katelyn Strohacker, 23, was sentenced Friday to service 8 to 12 years successful situation aft she pleaded nary contention to 31 counts of kidnapping and child endangerment for aggregate incidents astatine Over the Rainbow Children's Center successful Pataskala, according to online tribunal records.

Strohacker was accused of abusing astatine slightest 8 children, including the 1-year-old miss she allegedly restrained with painter's portion to "administer corporal punishment oregon different carnal disciplinary measure" successful a "cruel manner," according to prosecutors. She admitted to utilizing the portion to hindrance the miss connected aggregate occasions.

"Only a soulless monster would beryllium susceptible of abusing defenseless children," said genitor Taylor Pineda astatine Strohacker's sentencing, section CBS affiliate WBNS reports. "The aforesaid children you took work for erstwhile you became a daycare employee," Pineda told her.

Another father, Ryan Freehafer, said, "My daughter, who had ever been joyful and happy, began telling america she was a atrocious girl, and she would unopen down successful tears aft immoderate correction. My girl was conditioned by a predatory monster who I dropped her disconnected to each time and volition present walk the remainder of her puerility trying to rebuild from."

Strohacker did not talk during the hearing. She faced a maximum of 92 years and six months successful prison.

Prosecutors said the maltreatment was discovered aft the parent of the miss who had her eyes taped unopen contacted constabulary successful August 2025 and said she had been contacted by the manager of the daycare facility, Jamie Schoelkopf, astir the alleged incident.

"The suspect placed painter's portion connected [the child's] eyes, taped [the child's] hands down her back, and taped [the child's] feet together, leaving [the child] look down nether a broad unattended," prosecutors alleged successful a bill of particulars detailing allegations against Strohacker. "Detectives continued to analyse the defendant's behaviour by reviewing voluminous amounts of video from her anterior shifts dating backmost to a surveillance retention day of July 7, 2025, and video up to August 7, 2025. Law enforcement discovered that the Defendant had done this connected astatine slightest 4 anterior occasions to [the child], including 1 incidental connected July 17, 2025, successful which she taped [the child's] hands down her caput and stepped her ft connected [the child's] enarthrosis and cervix area."

Strohacker "terrorized" the 1-year-old miss portion she was restrained "by acting aggressively and forcefully with the kid erstwhile she would determination her feet," the filing said. "This included yanking the toddler astir oregon acting successful a threatening manner," according to prosecutors.

Strohacker targeted 7 different children successful the monthlong clip framework during which surveillance video was kept. One incidental that progressive a 2-year-old and was captured connected video from July 11, 2025, showed Strohacker "purposely unopen the victim's digit successful a furniture door," according to prosecutors. Four of Strohacker's victims were seen, evaluated, and treated by multidisciplinary teams astatine Nationwide Children's Hospital.

"These children, who suffered superior carnal harm arsenic a effect of the defendant's abuse, person experienced slumber issues/night terrors, separation anxiety, and behavioral issues," prosecutors said successful a court filing.

A genitor who spoke astatine Strohacker's sentencing connected Friday said, "For our daughter, she's been trapped successful a rhythm of slumber aggression and nighttime terrors astatine 2 years old," according to section ABC affiliate WSYX.

Another genitor recounted however Strohacker "moved my girl to a spot retired of camera presumption for nap time, wherever my babe was screaming for me, her daddy, and her dogs—following what sounded similar a onslaught of immoderate sort," WSYX reports.

"Personally, we anticipation that … you're ne'er allowed to beryllium unsocial with children ever again," said 1 mother. "May God person mercy connected your soul, but I can't — due to the fact that we commune helium doesn't."

The Over the Rainbow Children's Center has not responded to Law&Crime's requests for comment. It provided a connection to WBNS past year, saying information was the "top priority," per the outlet.

"We became alert of an incidental with a erstwhile employee," the daycare said. "As a effect of the incident, some the worker and supervisor person been terminated. We person been successful interaction with the household of the kid progressive and reported the incidental to authorities."