Girlfriend sentenced to jail time in child abuse case

A woman involved in the abuse of her boyfriend’s toddler daughter has been sentenced to ten days in jail.

Kaitlynn Rae Hackbarth, 24, of Sleepy Eye, was sentenced last month in Brown County Court. She was charged in April with two felony counts of 3rd-degree assault and felony malicious punishment of a child.

In August she agreed to plead guilty to gross misdemeanor child neglect and all other charges against her were dismissed.

Judge Robert Docherty sentenced Hackbarth to 364 days in the Brown County Jail, with all but 10 days stayed for two years.  Hackbarth was also ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines and restitution.  She’ll be required to complete treatment and attend support groups.

The child’s father, Kyle Nason, 25, agreed to plead guilty to felony malicious punishment of a child in August  His remaining charges would be dismissed and his plea deal recommends his jail sentence be capped at 30 days.  Nason will be sentenced later this month.

In April, Nason and his girlfriend were accused of spanking his 2-year-old daughter up to seven times a day, punishments that witnesses reported to the police and the child’s mother.