Former daycare worker sentenced to prison in daycare abuse case

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– A former daycare worker has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after her conviction on charges of child physical abuse.

A circuit court judge gave the sentence after a four day jury trial in Lexington County General Sessions Court this week.

Shayna N. McKnight was convicted by the jury on all charges.

McKnight was sentenced to 12 years on the charge of inflicting great bodily injury upon a child and sentenced to 5 years concurrent on two counts of unlawful conduct towards a child.

She was formerly employed as a caregiver at Windsor Academy Child Development Center in Lexington County, which no longer in operation.

On March 11, 2022, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department was notified that a 10-month-old infant was being treated at Prisma Children’s Hospital for a fractured tibia (left leg bone).

Investigators say the infant’s mother reported to law enforcement that she was called to pick up her daughter at Windsor Academy earlier that day after she was injured at their facility.

LCSD investigators arrived at Windsor Academy on March 15, 2022, and requested a copy of the surveillance video.

Investigators say Windsor Academy was unable to provide them with the surveillance video.

A search warrant was subsequently executed by law enforcement to obtain the full DVR system from Windsor Academy, according to officials.

A forensic examination of the DVR system by an expert forensic analyst led to the recovery of a video recording from the date of the child’s leg injury.

LCSD reviewed the surveillance video on March 11, 2022, and seen Shayna McKnight carrying out multiple acts of aggression towards the infant victim.

A former co-worker testified that McKnight placed the infant victim into a crib and stated: “I flipped her over by her leg and heard a pop.”

Expert testimony at trial explained that a spiral fracture of the leg occurs due to a forceful, twisting motion and is consistent with child physical abuse in an infant that age.

Officials say the baby infant was unable to bear weight on her left leg after this event on the morning of March 11, 2022.

Upon further examination of the video surveillance by law enforcement, McKnight was observed to improperly lift the victim from the floor by one arm with force.

Bruising was noted to the victim’s arm and leg when she was photographed at Prisma Children’s Hospital on the night of March 11.

Also, video captured her on March 11, revealed that McKnight had restrained a 9-month-old infant by wrapping a blanket around his arms, legs, and feet.

Video surveillance also showed McKnight placing a blanket tightly over the infant’s mouth for an extended period of time.

In addition to the charges from March 11, 2022, McKnight was also charged with cruelty to children for other acts of aggression towards separate infants on March 1, March 7, and March 9, of 2022.

The former daycare worker was convicted of these separate charges on June 20, 2023.

McKnight is being transferred to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of her sentence.

Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes stated, “McKnight was entrusted with the care of these vulnerable and innocent children. She violated that trust and carried out acts of abuse which cannot be tolerated in any community”.