An Ohio woman, Haley Marie Ryan, 21, has been spared jail time after a video circulated on social media showing her in what appeared to be an act of child abuse. Court records from the Buckeye State reveal that Ryan pleaded guilty to one count of endangering children on August 27. She was subsequently sentenced to five years of probation on Tuesday.
In addition to probation, Ryan was also sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 90 days suspended. She was credited for the 35 days she had already spent in pretrial detention, effectively reducing her jail time to 55 days. However, her sentence will be served within the county’s jurisdiction, not the state’s.
The case, which shocked southwestern Ohio and sparked outrage on the internet, was resolved relatively quickly. The video of the incident was widely shared online, leading to Ryan’s arrest on August 14. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reported receiving numerous complaints and notifications about the video.
The video, described by the Sheriff’s Office as a “disturbing video of a mother screaming at and hitting her child,” was shared and viewed thousands of times on various social media platforms, including YouTube and TikTok. This widespread sharing led to community outrage, with calls coming in from as far away as Texas.
The video shows a woman, identified as Ryan, leaning over a crib and yelling at the baby inside. She then appears to hit something inside the crib repeatedly. The video is unclear, making it difficult to determine the extent of the woman’s contact with the child. The video ends with the woman leaving the room, and the person filming, identified as the child’s father, checking on the child.
Authorities confirmed that the child in the video was less than a year old. Despite the disturbing footage, police later revealed that the child was not harmed. At the time of Ryan’s arrest, there was speculation that additional charges could be filed, but Ryan was ultimately only charged with child endangerment.
Ryan initially pleaded not guilty on August 15, according to Vandalia court records. She was assigned a public defender the following day, and a pretrial hearing was held on August 21. Less than a week later, she admitted legal culpability for her actions in the video.
In addition to her jail time and probation, Ryan was ordered to have no contact with the victim until further assessments are made. She will also be required to attend parenting classes and undergo “intense outpatient treatment.”