DAYTON — A Dayton woman was sentenced to prison on Thursday for her role in a “horrific abuse” case involving her two children.
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Kayla Shepherd, 30, was sentenced to five years in prison on Thursday.
The sentencing came after she pleaded guilty to six counts she was facing, including endangering children and drug offenses.
“You had responsibilities as a mother and caregiver, and, quite frankly, you had responsibilities as a human being, and you failed on every one of those levels,” Judge Mary Montgomery, Montgomery County Common Pleas Court judge, said.
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As shown on News Center 7 at 5:00, Montgomery blasted Shepherd in court on Thursday, frustrated that she did nothing to protect her 8-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter from her boyfriend, Kyle Knox.
As News Center 7 previously reported, the investigation began in November 2024 when police were called to a home on Arlene Avenue. There, a resident reported finding the two children walking in the street. The little girl told police they’d escaped from their house.
Police noticed the boy had severe swelling of the face and lips, as well as lacerations to his back. He was rushed to Dayton Children’s Hospital, where doctors said his injuries looked like he was a victim of torture.
Court documents previously obtained by News Center 7 show the children had been confined to one room in the house since June 2024. Police said that the room was full of trash, debris, and evidence of physical abuse.
Court documents also indicated that the girl told police that her mother’s boyfriend used lighters, belts, box cutters, and his fists to abuse her brother.
“You failed them as a mother by allowing Kyle Knox into your home and allowing him to torture,” Montgomery told Shepherd on Thursday.
Knox pleaded guilty to over 100 counts, including aggravated arson and endangering children, in January. He was sentenced to 40-45.5 years in prison last month.
At his sentencing, Montgomery called him a “diabolical monster who does not deserve to be released from prison for the rest of (his) life.”
The judge said then that Knox videotaped much of the abuse, forcing police and prosecutors to watch the horrible acts as part of their investigation. Shepherd apparently never saw them.
“The blind eye she turned is just as unbelievable,” Bryan Moore, Assisting Prosecuting Attorney, said. “She fed these kids to the wolf.”
Shepherd declined to say anything in court, and while her lawyer insisted she is remorseful, the judge didn’t seem to buy it.
“You, Ms. Shepherd, had an obligation and a responsibility to move heaven and earth for the safety of those children, and the well-being of those children,” Montgomery said. “All you did was shrug your shoulders, say ‘OK,’ and turn around.”
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