Group Home, Daycare Employee Faces Child Abuse Charge: Pinellas Sheriff

LARGO, FL — A group home and daycare employee in Largo was arrested Wednesday on a child abuse charge, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The investigation into Shannon Cooper, 38, of Clearwater began on Dec. 21, when deputies responded to a child abuse incident a a group home in Largo.

The victim’s father noticed during pick-up that his non-verbal, autistic child had multiple injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

Surveillance footage from the home showed Cooper “excessively battering the victim,” detectives said.

The video footage also showed her “pulling the victim around by their collar, striking the victim unprovoked multiple times, straddling the victim and forcing her weight upon them, throwing the victim into furniture, and taking the victim into rooms that were known to not have cameras,” PCSO said.

The victim had bruises on their neck, right arm, and left arm, as well as scratches on their face and hands.

Cooper, who was booked into Pinellas County Jail, is also employed by Retmus Academy of Learning at 2800 26th Avenue South in St. Petersburg.

See Also:

• 81-Year-Old FL Woman Arrested For Murder-For-Hire Plot: Sheriff
• Off-Duty Deputy Accused Of Driving Under The Influence In Crash: Manatee Sheriff
• Tampa Man Fled Police, Crashed Into Multiple Cars Before Arrest: Authorities
• FL Charter Boat Captain Sold Cocaine He Found At Sea, Sheriff Says
• 16-Year-Old Killed, Another Teen In Critical Condition After Motorcycle Crash: FL Troopers
• Homeowner Fatally Shot Man On New Year’s Day In Self-Defense: Manatee Sheriff