DeKalb County: 3 plead guilty in Appletree Learning Center abuse case

 Victims were “too young to tell anyone”

DEKALB COUNTY, GA- Three former daycare workers pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Aug. 14, in connection to the abuse of 13 children at the Appletree Learning Center in Stone Mountain.

“The defendants in this case victimized some of DeKalb County’s most precious residents, many of whom were too young to tell anyone about the abuse they endured,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.  “I am proud of the hard work of my team to hold these defendants accountable for their reprehensible actions.  However, we are stunned by the injustice of the sentence for Defendant Swain.  We feel the sentence is far too short considering the long-term and continuing effects of the abuse these children and their families are suffering.” 

Alexis Renee Swain, 28, pleaded guilty to 29 counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree. Despite the State’s recommendation of 20 years to serve 15 in confinement, DeKalb County Superior Court Chief Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, who presided over the case, sentenced Swain to 10 years to serve 5 in custody. 

Cori Chambers, 21, pleaded guilty to five counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree. Cori Chambers was sentenced to 10 years of probation with the first 120 days on house arrest and 80 hours of community service. 

Cassandra Artis Chambers, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Report Suspected Child Abuse. She was sentenced to 12 months of probation and 80 hours of community service.  

As conditions of their sentences, all three defendants cannot care for any children in a commercial or at-home setting, except their own relatives. 

Police opened the investigation into abuse at the daycare facility on June 22, 2022, after a parent reported discovering injuries on her child’s face, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston’s office.

Investigators reviewed three days’ worth of surveillance video from inside the daycare that revealed ongoing, repeated abuse at the hands of the defendants.  Defendant Swain was captured hitting, pushing, and shaking some of the children, as well as slamming children onto the floor, changing tables or cots. 

Defendant Cori Chambers was also recorded on surveillance video hitting, pushing, and shaking children in her care. 

Defendant Cassandra Chambers was the director of the daycare and despite becoming aware of the abuse after reviewing surveillance video herself, did not notify anyone, according to the investigation.  Under Georgia law, daycare personnel are considered “mandated reporters” and are required to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement. 

The charges against the defendants are tied to 13 alleged victims who ranged in age from 6 months to almost 3 years old. 

The case against a fourth defendant, Cherretta Hull, 78, is still pending.  On Dec. 19, 2023, a DeKalb County Grand Jury indicted Hull on 19 counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree.  

The case, assigned to the Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children Unit, was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Lauren Caldwell with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Shannon Hodder, District Attorney Investigator Waine Pinckney, and Victim Advocate Yuzellie Garcia. Former DeKalb County Police Department Det. Monesha Hughes, who is now a District Attorney Investigator, led the initial investigation. 

Booking photos via DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.