A special prosecutor appointed to the alleged child abuse-related cases at the First United Methodist Church daycare said during a hearing Monday morning he will be working with the attorneys representing the four women charged in the case to reach a resolution before it goes to trial in February.
Former daycare workers Allison Simpson is charged with thirty counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12-years old and Nina Morgan is facing two counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12. Former church pastor Paige Williams and former daycare director Abby Leach each face eight counts of first-degree complicity of criminal abuse of a child under 12.
During a Monday morning pretrial conference in Christian County Circuit Court, special prosecutor Blake Chambers of Morgantown appeared virtually before Chief Circuit Judge John Atkins and asked for another pretrial be set at the first of the year to allow him more time to see if the cases can be resolved.
click to download audioAttorneys representing the four women had no objections when Judge Atkins set another hearing at 1:00 p.m. on January 27, 2022.
click to download audioAll four women were indicted after an investigation by the Hopkinsville Police Department determined several children were allegedly abused at the hands of Simpson and Morgan. Williams and Leach are accused of breaching their legal duty to protect eight minors less than 13-months old “from a situation that might cause serious physical injury, torture, cruel confinement or cruel punishment at the hands of Simpson and Morgan”.
If a resolution is not reached, a jury trial is scheduled to begin on February 14th.
