Inset: Kristy Cooley (Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office). Background: The home in Lilburn, Ga., where Kristy Cooley abused her middle child (WAGA).
A Georgia mother convicted of abusing her daughter will spend decades in prison.
Kristy Cooley was sentenced on Friday to 80 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of two counts of aggravated battery, eight counts of cruelty to children, and two counts of tampering with evidence. According to courtroom reporting by Atlanta-based Fox affiliate WAGA, prosecutors said Cooley subjected her 9-year-old daughter to years of "child torture." One of the girl's teachers noticed signs of abuse during a mandatory check-in and alerted police.
According to prosecutors who spoke with WAGA, doctors testified during the trial that Cooley's treatment of her daughter included physical and psychological abuse as well as medical neglect. Cooley would watch her child through cameras positioned throughout her home in Lilburn, Georgia. Prosecutors said Cooley watched in case the girl's behavior was not up to her standards.
Cooley punished her daughter by locking her in her bedroom for days at a time and starving her. The girl was forced to use a bucket as a toilet and sneak out of her room to find food. If the girl was caught sneaking food, Cooley beat her with a pipe and sticks. She also burned her daughter until she lost consciousness.
Prosecutors said they found images of the girl on Cooley's phone that showed her with a black eye at the age of five or six. The 9-year-old girl was Cooley's middle child and the only target of abuse.
According to WAGA, the Division of Family & Children Services was alerted to conditions in Cooley's home when her 9-year-old was a toddler. Prosecutors said there was no follow-up.
WAGA reported that the girl's stepfather was also charged in connection with the abuse, but he died before he could stand trial.
The judge sentenced Cooley to 80 years, but only 40 years will have to be served behind bars.