Mother sentenced in Newton County to 30 years for extreme abuse of children
NORA RODGERS
NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. - According to the Newton County District Attorney's Office, Nora Rodgers pleaded guilty to nine counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree on Oct. 9. The charges were related to the physical, mental, and emotional abuse she inflicted on her three stepchildren.
The distressing episode came to light on Oct. 4, 2020, when law enforcement responded to a call at Rodgers' residence after a concerned relative discovered signs of abuse on the children. The victims, aged 6, 8, and 9, bore visible marks of beatings, with the six-year-old suffering severe internal injuries requiring treatment by Children's Healthcare of Atlanta’s trauma team.
The abuse included forced extreme exercises resembling bootcamp routines. The children were subjected to rigorous physical activities, often in the middle of the night and during the heat of summer. The exercises include running laps, doing squats with large logs from the yard, jumping jacks and more. Failure to meet Rodgers' expectations resulted in further beatings and physical sparring.
Rodgers, despite prior warnings from the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) against using exercise or corporal punishment, continued her abusive practices. The children were also subjected to malnutrition, with food withheld as a form of punishment. Their meals had strict time limits, and solid foods were blended into drinks for quicker consumption. Notably, Rodgers' biological children in the same household did not face similar restrictions or abuse.
Following the involvement of law enforcement, all the children were removed from their parents' care and placed in foster care.
In a sentencing hearing on Dec. 12, Rodgers received a 60-year probation sentence, with the initial 30 years to be served in prison. Impact statements from the child victims, foster parents, a social worker, and their grandmother were presented during the hearing, shedding light on the deep impact of Rodgers' abuse.
District Attorney Randy McGinley expressed gratitude to the prosecution team and praised the foster parents and the children's family for their unwavering support. McGinley emphasized the commitment to ensuring Rodgers serves a substantial sentence, protecting not only the victims but also any potential future victims.