Shannon Abbott has been found guilty of child abuse based on an incident that happened while she was working at the Department of Juvenile Justice detention center, according to Santa Rosa court records.
Abbott, 33, Milton, was arrested after a complaint was filed in August by a teen being held at the facility, according to Sheriff's reports. Originally charged with a misdemeanor, the count was raised to a felony, according to Assistant State Attorney James Parker.
At the time, Parker said because Abbott was in a position of authority over the victim; that the victim is under the age of 18; and the "significant injury" to the victim, felony child abuse charges apply. He described the injuries to the victim in this case as, "carpet burns, bruising around the eye and swelling around the face".
Following Abbott's arrest, a second accusation into the actions of the facility's director, Carol Andrus is accused of grabbing the neck of a restrained client and throwing the 15-year-old to the ground. The DJJ report indicates the teenager received lacerations to her face and ear "that looked like it needed stitches."
Citing concerns over "safety and security" at the facility, the Department of Juvenile Justice placed an admissions freeze on the Milton Girls Juvenile Residential Facility, eventually closing it. The girls housed at the facility were moved.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Abbott Guilty