The Smithville woman, who was reportedly operating an unlicensed daycare and charged with two counts of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment under the age of 8 years, and one count of aggravated child abuse, has pleaded guilty in the case.

On April 3, 2023, the Grand Jury charged 25-year-old Karlee Madison Dickens, also known as Karlee Madison Wagner of Pack Circle, Smithville, with the crimes.

In the aggravated child abuse case, the indictment alleged that Dickens abused a nine-month-old child resulting in serious bodily injury on or about May 19, 2022 thereby committing the offense of aggravated child abuse. The child’s date of birth is July, 27, 2021.

In the two-count indictment for child abuse, Dickens, AKA Wagner, was alleged to have inflicted injury on a 13-month-old child between the dates of August 8-12, 2022, and on or about August 17, 2022. The child’s date of birth is July 2, 2021. Dickens was arrested on April 4, 2023, and booked into the DeKalb County Jail.

On Thursday, February 22, Dickens appeared for sentencing in Putnam County Criminal Court. Dickens, had entered a plea to two counts of child abuse and received a total sentence of six years to serve at 100 percent. She was given a four-year sentence in one case and two years in the other. The two cases are to run consecutively for a total of six years. The case was transferred to Putnam County on a change of venue motion, and had been scheduled for trial next week. Judge Wesley Bray took the plea.

The prosecutor in the case was Assistant District Attorney General Jessica J. Krebs..