A Georgia mother found guilty of abusing her young daughter has been sentenced to decades behind bars. Kristy Cooley received an 80-year sentence on Friday after a jury convicted her on two counts of aggravated battery, eight counts of cruelty to children and two counts of tampering with evidence.
Atlanta-based Fox affiliate, which covered the proceedings, reported that prosecutors accused Cooley of subjecting her 9-year-old daughter to years of “child torture.”
The case came to light when one of the girl’s teachers noticed signs of abuse during a mandatory check-in and contacted police.
Prosecutors said that doctors who testified at trial described a pattern of physical and psychological abuse, along with medical neglect. Cooley monitored the child through cameras placed around the family’s home in Lilburn, Georgia. Prosecutors said she watched in case the girl’s behavior fell short of her standards.
Court testimony detailed the punishments the girl endured. Cooley locked her in her bedroom for days at a time and withheld food. The child was made to use a bucket as a toilet and had to sneak out of the room to find something to eat. When Cooley caught her taking food, she beat her with a pipe and sticks. Cooley also burned the girl until she lost consciousness.
Investigators found photographs on Cooley’s phone showing the girl with a black eye when she was five or six years old. The 9-year-old was Cooley’s middle child and the only one targeted for abuse.
Division of Family & Children Services was first alerted to conditions inside the home when the girl was a toddler. Prosecutors said the agency did not follow up.
The girl’s stepfather was also charged in connection with the abuse. He died before he could stand trial. Although the judge imposed an 80-year sentence, Cooley will be required to serve only 40 years in prison.