Image Credit: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation & Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
The daughter of Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson was found guilty of abusing a toddler at the daycare where she formerly worked, reviving controversy about the Sheriff removing daily arrest records and mugshots from the department’s website.
Sarah Jo Fuson, 25, was convicted by a jury last week on two charges, one count of child abuse and one count of aggravated child abuse, after her initial arrest in April of 2023.
In January of 2023, the parents of a child who attended a local daycare discovered bruises on their 1-year-old daughter, leading to an investigation by the center and Fuson’s firing. The Clarksville Police Department, Department of Children’s Services, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation all subsequently investigated the incident.
During the trial, surveillance video showed that Fuson forcefully grabbed the baby by the arms to reposition her in a highchair. Later when the baby kept raising her head and resisting her nap, Fuson grabbed the child’s head and pushed it back down onto the sleeping cot eight separate times. On the eighth time, the girl’s head landed near the edge of the cot, and she didn’t move again until after the nap, causing witnesses to disagree on whether her head hit the hard plastic edge.
Court records stated the toddler suffered “serious bodily injury” and witnesses also disagreed on if the baby suffered a concussion or skull fracture. Fuson’s defense attorney argued that the dispute about the child’s diagnoses lead to misinformation spreading and questioning whether Fuson “knowingly and intentionally” hurt the baby.
His closing suggested that what she did was a “reckless” act in a situation where she was merely an inexperienced worker “overwhelmed” with caring for a half-dozen toddlers simultaneously. But that argument was not enough to sway the jury who returned a guilty verdict on both child abuse charges against Fuson.
Because of her relation to the Montgomery County Sheriff, the case was moved out of Montgomery County and heard instead in Dickson. The verdict has reignited controversy in Montgomery County around Sheriff Fuson’s decision to stop posting mugshots and daily arrest records when his daughter was first being investigated by the TBI in 2023.
While initially denying that his daughter was under investigation, Sheriff Fuson later admitted his daughter’s circumstance “was not the sole reason for removing the mugshots from our website.”
Montgomery County residents are re-expressing their frustrations with the Sheriff’s actions, with some making lighthearted jests and others celebrating the verdict as justice.
“So, like, can we get our mugshots back now?” joked one commentor. “I’m glad. It doesn’t take training to know you don’t do that to someone, let alone a child. I’m also glad they didn’t let her hide behind her daddy,” wrote one person.
Another comment read, “This is absolutely so disturbing. And the fact that the Montgomery County Sheriff (aka her daddy) TRIED TO HIDE AND COVER IT…”
Fuson was immediately taken into custody after the trial because the charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence, and formal sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 11. Aggravated child abuse of a child younger than 8 is a Class A felony, carrying a 15–25-year sentence. Child abuse of a child younger than 8 is a Class B felony, carrying a sentence of 8-12 years.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
2 Responses
And even priso inmates don’t take kindly to child abusers. There is no such thing as a “lack of experience” when it comes to physically abusing a helpless baby. In my opinion she was an angry person taking it out on someone that could not rat on her. Every dog has its day. I hope they throw the max penalty. We can no longer tolerate cruelty to our children regardless of age of the abuser or circumstances. Every decent person knows when you are overwhelmed when caring for a child or children you remove yourself and get control of yourself.
When America was great mothers and grandparents raised children.