Three Defendants Plead Guilty in DeKalb County Daycare Abuse Case

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the convictions of three defendants charged in connection with alleged abuse at a Stone Mountain daycare center (Appletree Learning Center & Academy).

Alexis Renee Swain, 28, pleaded guilty to 29 counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree. Cori Chambers, 21, pleaded guilty to five counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree. Cassandra Artis Chambers, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Report Suspected Child Abuse.

The investigation into the alleged abuse began on June 22, 2022, after a parent reported discovering injuries on her child’s face. Police reviewed three days of surveillance footage from inside the daycare, which revealed repeated abuse by the defendants. Swain was captured hitting, pushing, and shaking children, as well as slamming them onto the floor, changing tables, or cots. Cori Chambers was also recorded hitting, pushing, and shaking children in her care. Cassandra Chambers, the daycare director, became aware of the abuse after reviewing the surveillance video but did not notify authorities. Under Georgia law, daycare personnel are mandated reporters and are required to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement.

The charges against the defendants involve 13 alleged victims, ranging in age from six months to almost three years old.

The case against a fourth defendant, Cherretta Hull, 78, is still pending. She was indicted on December 19, 2023, by a DeKalb County Grand Jury on 19 counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree.

DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson presided over the plea hearing. Cassandra Chambers was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 80 hours of community service. Cori Chambers received 10 years of probation with the first 120 days on house arrest and 80 hours of community service. Despite the State’s recommendation of 20 years with 15 years in confinement, Swain was sentenced to 10 years with 5 years to be served in custody.

As a condition of their sentences, all three defendants are prohibited from caring for any children in a commercial or at-home setting, except their own relatives.

District Attorney Boston commented, “The defendants in this case victimized some of DeKalb County’s most precious residents, many of whom were too young to tell anyone about the abuse they endured. I am proud of the hard work of my team to hold these defendants accountable for their reprehensible actions. However, we are stunned by the injustice of the sentence for Defendant Swain. We feel the sentence is far too short considering the long-term and continuing effects of the abuse these children and their families are suffering.”

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lauren Caldwell, with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Shannon Hodder, District Attorney Investigator Waine Pinckney, and Victim Advocate Yuzellie Garcia. The initial investigation was led by former DeKalb County Police Department Det. Monesha Hughes, who is now a District Attorney Investigator.