PULASKI, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Pulaski woman will spend 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to abusing children at a local daycare.
The investigation began March 5, 2025, when a parent contacted the Pulaski Police Department after witnessing how daycare worker Erica Coleman treated her child at Kid City USA. Coleman was arrested that day and was later fired from her job, where she had worked for about six months.
Investigators later expanded the case, interviewing staff and parents and reviewing about two weeks of surveillance video from the facility (investigators said the daycare’s camera system only retained about two weeks of footage).
According to authorities, the footage showed repeated abuse of children ages 3 and 4, including slapping, pushing, screaming in children’s faces, kicking chairs, threatening gestures, and one incident in which a child was lifted by the throat.
According to investigators, the footage showed children sitting still with their eyes down, appearing fearful as Coleman directed her behavior toward other children. The video had no audio, but witnesses reported Coleman used profanity toward the children. Police said the abuse involved multiple children and was not directed at a single victim.
The Giles County Grand Jury later indicted Coleman on 197 counts. On Jan. 29, 2026, she pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with six years required to be served in full. She is also barred from contacting the victims or their families.
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