Inset: Samantha Pearson (Moore County Jail). Background: The area in Oklahoma where Pearson ran her home daycare (Google Maps).
A 25-year-old woman in Oklahoma who ran a home daycare is accused of abusing two infants in her care, allegedly shoving wet wipes into the mouths of the two children to stop them from crying, then "slamming" one of the victims onto a changing table and open-hand slapping the child.
Authorities took Samantha Pearson into custody last week and charged her with three counts of child abuse in connection with the alleged violent incident.
According to a press release from the District 21 District Attorney's Office, Pearson ran a daycare from her home near North Santa Fe Avenue and Northwest Sixth Street in Moore, Oklahoma, which is less than 10 miles south of Oklahoma City.
Prosecutors brought charges against Pearson after law enforcement reviewed surveillance footage from inside that home that supposedly showed her "physically mistreating the infants while they were in her care."
A probable cause affidavit obtained by Oklahoma City ABC affiliate KOCO provided additional details about the allegations.
According to the report, Pearson was caring for multiple children on June 26 when she was captured on video stuffing wet wipes into the mouths of two children to force them to stop crying as she was changing their diapers.
When one child tried to spit out the wipe, Pearson allegedly put another one back into the child's mouth. The video showed her doing the same thing to both children multiple times, according to the affidavit.
The footage also showed one of the infants attempting to crawl away from Pearson, who is allegedly seen grabbing the baby and "slamming" them into a changing table.
At the end of the video, Pearson can reportedly be seen "open-hand" slapping the same child, police wrote.
While prosecutors repeatedly referred to the victims as "infants," KOCO reported that the children were 3 and 4 years old.
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services told the station that Pearson had not held a valid childcare license since 2025. The agency also confirmed that it is investigating the incident, according to the station.
Pearson was booked into the Moore County Jail, where she remained in detention on $300,000 bond as of Thursday morning, records show. A judge also ordered that upon her release, she is prohibited from consuming drugs or alcohol, is required to wear a GPS monitor, and is barred from having any contact with the victims or their families.
Pearson is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 29.
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