LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- An employee of a Norton Commons daycare accused of assaulting three infants there pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Saturday morning.

Racheal Flannery, 24, was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with three counts of first-degree Criminal Abuse. Flannery, an employee of Vanguard Academy, located at 9306 Dayflower Street in Prospect, allegedly assaulted and injured three infants.

Court documents obtained by WDRB News describe two alleged assaults — one against a 6-month-old and the other against a 7-month-old.

In the case of the 7-month-old, police said the incident took place on Sept. 28, and was captured on surveillance video. According to court documents, Flannery was seen repeatedly shoving a bottle into the child's mouth, before grabbing the child's head and squeezing it into her chest. She then "forcefully" put the victim in the crib and walked away, according to police.

Police said surveillance video then shows Flannery returning, picking the victim up, swinging the victim around and "forcefully" putting the child on the ground. She then can be seen forcing the bottle into the child's mouth and the child's head "can be seen shaking repeatedly on the video," according to court records. A moment later, police said she can be seen dropping the child on the floor.

According to court documents, the child was taken to Norton Children's Hospital, where it was determined that the child suffered a bruise to the left cheek and upper arm and a cut on the lip.

Police said she also "violently handled" a 6-month-old on the same date.

It's not the first time an incident of abuse was investigated at the daycare. According to documents obtained from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the state investigated a previous incident of alleged abuse during an inspection in Sept. 2021.

During her court hearing on Saturday, the prosecutor on the case urged the judge to raise Flannery's bond even though she has no prior record.  

"We're talking about three separate victims — two 6-month-olds and one 7-month-old," the prosecutor said. "If you can see from the allegations, she was on camera committing these acts. These are the most helpless members of our community and here she is on camera abusing them." 

On Saturday, her bond was set at $50,000. The judge also ordered Flannery to have no contact with her employer, Vanguard Academy. 

Flannery's next court date is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m.

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