Ogallala woman charged with negligent child abuse in Perkins County

A 19-year-old woman from Ogallala has been charged by the Perkins County Court with one count of committing negligent child abuse. The alleged incident occurred on April 25 during the woman’s former employment at a daycare in Grant. 

According to an arrest affidavit, Courtney Stickley allegedly abused a toddler and filmed it on Snapchat during work hours at a Grant daycare in April. 

On June 13, Sergeant Brian Gertsch with the Perkins County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating an assault of a 20-month-old male.

The boy’s mother became in possession of the Snapchat video and reported the incident to law enforcement.

According to the affidavit, the Snapchat video allegedly shows a person, believed to be Stickley, sweeping the boy’s feet out from behind him, causing him to fall and land on the floor, striking his buttocks, back and head before he cried.

Sergeant Gertsch stated in the affidavit this was believed to be done knowingly and intentionally as the video started recording prior to the person who was recording sweeping the boy’s legs out from behind him.

Two former employees of the daycare, who were interviewed during the investigation, identified Stickley in the video based on her attire. The former employees were also able to identify the toddler room of the daycare the film was taken in based on the items seen in the background.

On June 24, Sergeant Gertsch attempted to schedule an interview with Stickley but she claimed “to be too busy to do so for the next two to three weeks,” according to the affidavit. 

However, the next day, Stickley was stopped in Grant on a reckless driving complaint and was arrested by the Perkins County Sheriff’s Office for the child abuse charge. 

Stickley was taken to the Keith County jail where she posted bail. Stickley is scheduled to be arraigned in Perkins County Court at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 6.