Image Credit: Judge David D. Wolfe State of Tennessee / YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Sarah Fuson, daughter of Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson, was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for a child abuse conviction last month with the judge expressing displeasure at her lack of remorse for her actions.
Fuson, a former daycare worker, was indicted on aggravated child abuse and child abuse charges after the victim’s parents noticed their daughter had significant bruising on her arms after picking the 13-month-old up from Tylertown Learning Center one day.
The trial mainly centered on two surveillance videos from 2023 showing Fuson forcefully grabbing the baby in a chair and repeatedly slamming her onto a cot. Both videos were revealed as part of the investigation launched by several agencies including Clarksville PD and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Court records stated the toddler suffered “serious bodily injury” and witnesses debated about whether the baby had a concussion and/or skull fracture. When shown the footage during the trial, Fuson agreed the incidents did “look a little rough”, but maintained she wasn’t “intentionally being rough” with the toddler.
Macy Hyde, mother of the abused child Olivia, testified in a heartfelt victim impact statement on the day of sentencing, asking the court’s consequence to “reflect the gravity” of the suffering her baby endured.
“There are no words to describe what it feels like to realize your baby has been harmed by the very person you trusted to care for her…I had trusted Sarah with the most precious thing in my life, and that trust was shattered,” she said. “Since the abuse, our lives have been consumed by emotional turmoil, fear, and uncertainty.”
Macy relayed that for months after the incident, Olivia woke up screaming in the night, had panic attacks, and showed an “overwhelming fear” of sleeping. Putting her down for naps became an almost unbearable ordeal and the family had to put Olivia into play therapy because she refused to let the backs of her arms be touched.
In her presentencing statement, Fuson said she never intended to hurt Olivia, claiming she was unaware of the severity of her outbursts, and that they were a result of her frustration with the daycare center’s lack of adequate staff or resources.
“I was always alone with six children in my classroom. Sometimes it was difficult to give one child the attention they needed when I had five others to care for. I’d find myself hurrying and multitasking all the time. It was also hard to give the new children the attention they needed to transition to the toddler room,” she justified.
“I didn’t realize I was being rough with Olivia in the moment. I recognize that I was rough with her and regret my conduct. To Olivia and her parents, I am so very sorry that this happened, and what this has put your family through, and the trauma that Olivia had to go through. If I could go back and make this right, I would have been calm and gentle as usually I was and not rough… I hope that someday Olivia and her family can forgive me and we can move past this.”
Because of a potential conflict of interest based on her familial connection to the Sheriff, the case was moved to Dickson County under Judge David Wolfe. The judge stressed Fuson’s seeming lack of remorse and her unwillingness to take accountability for her actions until her statement during sentencing.
“I observed the defendant’s behavior during the course of the trial and her testimony from the stand during the trial. Before today, I didn’t see any indication that Miss Fuson accepted any responsibility for this. In fact, to the contrary. She not only didn’t accept responsibility for her actions, she minimized those actions. She gave excuses for those actions; she talked about how badly she was being mistreated and how unfair things were.”
He also read from Fuson’s presentencing report which solely focused on how the incident affected her with no concern for the child she had harmed. He drew attention to her complaints of prison life and her stated desire for her family to sue the prison so she could “get out of here” because she believed there was no reason for her incarceration.
“I just don’t find, in this Court’s opinion, that her expressions of remorse today are particularly sincere. I think they’re motivated by good advice of counsel and the fact that she realizes, having said those things, that those things can come back to bite her,” he said.
Judge Wolfe ultimately ordered Fuson to serve 20 years in prison for the first abuse charge and 4 years for the second, with both sentences running concurrently, meaning the 4 years will be served at the same time as the 20.
Fuson’s attorney has filed a skeleton motion for a new trial, but that motion will be heard at a later date, likely in the spring of next year.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
