Charles City woman sentenced to 20 years in prison after violently abusing child

CHARLES CITY — It’s 20 years in prison for a Charles City woman who pleaded guilty to child abuse charges.

33-year-old Samantha Slaughter was accused of physically and violently assaulting a child on February 13th in a home in the 300 block of 8th Avenue. Slaughter was accused of forcefully grabbing their face, force feeding them food, shaking and jerking their face and head, hitting them in their face with their own hands, forcing them to the floor by grabbing their neck, and slamming them to the floor.

A criminal complaint said the minor sustained serious injuries to include facial bruising and swelling, retinal hemorrhages, as well as bleeding in the head and brain. Medical staff told law enforcement that the child’s long-term prognosis will likely include varying deficits, some of which appear to be permanent.

Slaughter was charged with child endangerment by multiple acts, a Class B felony. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, she pleaded guilty to child endangerment resulting in serious injury and willful injury resulting in serious injury, both Class C forcible felonies. District Judge Rustin Davenport sentenced Slaughter to ten years in prison on each charge, with the sentences to be served back-to-back.