Moorcroft woman accepts plea deal on child abuse charges

Karey Hedlund of Moorcroft has accepted a plea deal related to the 16 separate counts of child abuse and one of aggravated assault and battery with which she was originally charged.

Hedlund’s alleged victims accuse her of years of mental and physical abuse. According to reports from a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy, an investigation was launched at the beginning of June, 2021 in response to a report of “abusive and neglectful behavior”.

The victims reported numerous incidents of cruel and physical abuse at Hedlund’s hands.

At change of plea hearing, Judge James Michael Causey approved a plea agreement in which Hedlund will plead guilty to one charge of felony child abuse involving slapping a juvenile victim in the mouth, causing them to bleed, and one charge of felony child abuse involving hitting a juvenile victim’s hands with a mallet.

Hedlund also agreed to plead no contest to a felony child abuse charge involving “cruel confinement”, in which she is alleged to have locked a juvenile victim in a room.

All three counts carry a maximum penalty of ten years of incarceration, a $10,000 fine or both.

The court having decreed that Hedlund is guilty of all three counts, a pre-sentence investigation will now be completed by the Wyoming Department of Corrections, Field Services Division, prior to sentencing. The court reserves the right to reject or accept the plea agreement on receipt of the results of this investigation.