Former Pulaski daycare worker sentenced to prison for child abuse

PULASKI, Tenn. (WKRN) — A former daycare worker in Giles County has been sentenced to serve 12 years behind bars just days after she pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of various charges, including child abuse, officials said.

According to 22nd Judicial Attorney Brent Cooper, Erica Coleman pleaded guilty to nearly 197 charges on Thursday, Jan. 29, which stemmed from an investigation that began last year.

On March 5, 2025, officers with the Pulaski Police Department were sent to Kids City USA to investigate allegations of child abuse involving Erica Coleman.

After gathering additional information, officials reportedly arrested Coleman that same day for simple assault, which resulted in her immediate termination at the daycare center.

Shortly after Coleman’s arrest, investigators conducted a thorough investigation, which involved interviewing daycare staff, parents of the children, and reviewing surveillance video from the daycare center.

The findings of the investigation were presented to the Giles County Grandy Jury, who then returned a 74-page, 197-count indictment against Coleman for one count of aggravated assault, two counts of attempted aggravated assault, 94 counts of simple assault, 97 counts of child abuse of a child 8 years old or less, and three counts of attempted child abuse.Cooper added that all of the charges were supported by video evidence, and the victims, aged were 3 to 4 years old, were in the care of Coleman.

The surveillance video reportedly revealed a “horrifying pattern of abuse against these young children.” Coleman was allegedly caught on video slapping, pushing and kicking chairs, screaming in kids’ faces, and threatening violence with “imitated strikes to the children.” In one incident, video showed Coleman picking up a child by the throat, per Cooper.According to investigators, the children in Coleman’s care were often “frozen, sitting at attention, eyes downward” when she would yell. Cooper called the videos “infuriating and heartbreaking” to watch.

I want to commend all of the parents of the victims in this case. At the outset, we asked them to refrain from posting on social media about the case and not to attempt to take matters into their own hands. As difficult as it had to be, they all honored our requests. They also exhibited amazing patience with us as we guided this case through the system. I also want to thank Investigator Ramsey for the countless hours she spent on this case. Her hard work and diligence resulted in a strong case for prosecution, which will result in these and other children’s future safety. Assistant District Attorneys Rebecca “Becky” Parsons and Jenni Smith, along with Victim Witness Coordinator Tammy Mathis did excellent work on this difficult case. My prayer is that the victims, due to their youth and resilience, will grow up never remembering that Erica Coleman ever existed. I also hope that Ms. Coleman confronts whatever demons she has that led to this behavior.

Coleman reportedly received a 12-year sentence for her connection to incidents, with six of those years to be served at 100%. She is prohibited from having contact with the victims and their parents.Officials added that Coleman did not have a record before this case. No additional details were immediately released.