An Orange Park woman was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to child abuse, News4Jax learned Thursday.
Kristina Worley, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse, according to the State Attorney’s Office. Besides her jail sentence, the court ordered Worley to serve two years’ probation and complete mental health and substance abuse evaluations. She also was ordered to take a parenting skills course and have no contact with the victims in the case.
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As News4Jax previously reported, Worley turned herself into the Clay County jail in February 2020 after authorities obtained a warrant for her arrest on felony child abuse charges. According to a copy of the redacted arrest warrant, the victims were a 5-year-old and 7-year-old.
Court documents show investigators found bruises and visible marks on the children’s legs suggesting they’d been struck with a belt. Worley, identified as a relative of the children, was also accused of using a stun gun on the older child and threatening to use it on the younger child.
The children’s biological mother, whom News4Jax chose not to name to protect the victims’ identities, has since come forward and said both children were traumatized. Last month, she told News4Jax that both children are getting professional help as a result of the ordeal.