February 22, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
A 25-year-old woman and former unlicensed daycare operator originally indicted in 2023 by the DeKalb County Grand Jury on charges of child abuse and aggravated child abuse of children ages 9 months and 13 months appeared for sentencing today (Thursday) in Putnam County Criminal Court.
Karlee Madison Dickens, also known as Karlee Madison Wagner of Smithville entered a plea to two counts of child abuse and received a total sentence of six years to serve at 100%. 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.
Dickens had originally been indicted on one count of aggravated child abuse and two counts of child abuse.
The case against Dickens was recently transferred to Putnam County on a change of venue motion and had been scheduled for trial next week. Judge Wesley Bray took the plea Thursday.
In a statement to WJLE in April 2023 at the time of the indictment, District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway stated that “The DeKalb County Grand Jury met on April 3, 2023 and heard testimony regarding allegations of child abuse. The Grand Jury found probable cause that the criminal offenses were committed and issued a True Bill of Indictment charging Karlee Madison Dickens (also known as Karlee Madison Wagner), age 24 with the following offenses: Aggravated Child Abuse, a Class A felony by causing serious bodily injury to a child under the age of 8. And two (2) Counts of Child Abuse, each count being a Class D felony by causing injury to a child under 8 years of age. Karlee Madison Dickens (also known as Karlee Madison Wagner) was arrested on April 4, 2023 and booked into the DeKalb County Jail,” said DA Dunaway.
In the aggravated child abuse case, the indictment alleges that Dickens, AKA Wagner 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 is 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 thereby committing the offense of child abuse. The child’s date of birth is July 2, 2021.
The prosecutor in the case was Assistant District Attorney General Jessica J. Krebs and Brandon S. Griffin was the defense attorney for Dickens.