2 Montgomery Co. residents convicted of criminal child abuse – Middlesboro News

Attorney General Russell Coleman announced that the action of his Special Prosecution Unit resulted in the conviction of Haley Hartupee, 23, and Travis Spence, 27, of Montgomery County for criminal abuse of two children.

According to Coleman's office, Hartupee was sentenced to five years in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of first-degree criminal abuse (class C felony) earlier this month. Last year, Spence pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree criminal abuse (class C felony) and one count of second-degree criminal abuse (class D felony). Spence was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Both Hartupee and Spence have previously been indicted by Montgomery County grand juries.

In July 2018, Spence intentionally abused and/or intentionally allowed another person to abuse his 2-month-old daughter. According to the indictment, he allegedly inflicted excessive head trauma that resulted in bilateral subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrhages and required the placement of a permanent shunt in the baby's brain. Hartupee, the child's mother, illegally permitted this abuse.

Following a separate guilty plea last year, Spence was convicted of burning a 6-year-old child with a cigarette in 2021 that caused significant pain and cruel punishment.

“The extreme abuse perpetrated on these children is sickening. Following our Office’s vigorous prosecution of these defendants, I hope these children can find healing and have the childhood they deserve,” Coleman said..

Kentucky State Police investigated the case. Assistant Attorney General Barbara Whaley and Special Prosecutions Unit Deputy Director Ramsey Dallam prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.