Henrico News

Actions

Former NICU nurse Erin Strotman sentenced to 3 years in prison in Henrico baby abuse case

Former NICU nurse sentenced to 3 years in prison in Henrico baby abuse case

By: Melissa Hipolit

Posted

and last updated

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Erin Strotman, a former nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Henrico Doctors' Hospital, was sentenced Friday to three years of active incarceration for abusing nine premature infants in her care.

Three years was the maximum possible sentence under a plea agreement negotiated between Strotman and the Commonwealth. In January, Strotman pleaded no contest to nine counts of Class 6 felony child abuse involving nine infants between 2022 and 2024. She received four months behind bars for each of the nine babies.

CBS 6 investigative reporter Melissa Hipolit began investigating the story in December 2024, first reporting that the Henrico Doctors' Hospital NICU had stopped accepting new admissions in late December of that year. Hipolit then shared the story of the Hackey family, bringing public attention to the injuries their child suffered, prior to Strotman's arrest on Jan. 2, 2025.

Further reporting uncovered that doctors had raised red flags about the babies' injuries in 2023, yet the hospital waited six weeks before contacting Child Protective Services.

Defense: Strotman couldn't assess conduct due to hospital's opinion on fractures

Families of the injured babies said they were satisfied with the outcome.

Dominique Hackey, the father of one of the children injured, spoke outside the sentencing hearing.

"At this point, I was just focused on, you know, ending this chapter and hopefully not ever having to say her name again," Hackey said.

Malissa Nelson, whose child was also injured by Strotman, addressed the scope of the harm.

"Across the board, there were a lot of fractures, and she needed to be held accountable for that, and that's what took place today," Nelson said.

Ashli Mason, another parent of an injured child, described watching Strotman be taken into custody for the first time.

"It felt good. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, that comes off evil, but I now know that my child's abuser is behind bars, and we'll be going behind bars, and I'm happy with that," Mason said.

Strotman is accused of breaking the limbs of babies she was tasked with caring for. Her attorneys argued she was using a gas-relief technique she learned at the hospital and never intended to harm the babies.

The maximum penalty for the nine charges was 45 years behind bars, but sentencing guidelines suggested a maximum sentence of up to six months. Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor negotiated with the defense that the county would seek a maximum sentence of three years in exchange for the pleas.

Taylor previously said she and the families agreed to the three-year maximum because they knew there would be challenges with the case related to a lack of video evidence for some of the babies, the hospital's delay in reporting the abuse in 2023, and the care model at Henrico Doctors' Hospital prior to 2024. Prosecutors said Henrico Doctors' Hospital had no reliable system for tracking who provided nursing care to each infant.

Taylor explained why she agreed to the three-year cap.

"It wasn't my choice that I wanted to actually do three years. That is not what I wanted to do, but sentencing guidelines, which is something that is utilized in the Commonwealth of Virginia, can give guidance to courts as to what is an appropriate sentence, and in this case, as unimaginable as it is, the sentencing guidelines was recommending six months for the abuse of nine babies, so when coming up with a proposed sentence, the maximum cap that we came up with that was six times as much as what the guidelines offered," Taylor said.

Five parents of injured babies spoke during the sentencing hearing. They showed the judge the tiny diapers their babies wore in the NICU and the preemie clothes that were too big for them at the time, illustrating how fragile their children were.

Mason reflected on the trust she placed in Strotman.

"I trusted her, and she didn't do right by my family," Mason said.

Strotman addressed the families for the first time during the hearing. Through tears, she told them she never intended to hurt their children and she was sorry. She said she did not believe she was responsible for their injuries for a long time, and that it was through the case that she came to believe she was responsible.

Strotman's co-attorney, Ted Bruns, argued she performed medical care poorly but that her demeanor in videos of her caring for the babies did not suggest an intent to harm. He requested the judge consider home confinement instead of jail due to safety concerns.

"I know the jail is going to do everything they can to keep her safe, but it's as you know that the environment around this case has been different than just about anything that I've experienced in quite a long time," Bruns said.

Judge Richard Wallerstein denied that request, expressed the court's sympathies to the families, and said he hoped that with time, their children could help their parents out of the darkness.

Nelson said she chose to forgive Strotman.

"Holding a grudge and holding that anger in my heart is not even worth it. It's just not worth it. So I forgive her," Nelson said.

The alleged harm happened over two periods. Strotman was placed on leave when babies were first injured but was allowed back to work when no perpetrator was found, and more injuries occurred.

Strotman's attorneys said it was possible she could serve just 65 percent of her sentence based on good behavior in jail.

Depend on CBS 6 Investigative Reporter Melissa Hipolit and CBS 6 News for complete, in-depth coverage of this important local story. If you have more information or a tip for Melissa, email newstips@wtvr.com.

📲: CONNECT WITH US

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.

Meet your Henrico reporter: A.J. Nwoko

Your Community: Henrico Resources

Here are quick links for folks who live in Henrico. Know a story A.J. Nwoko should cover? Submit a tip here.

Henrico Government Henrico Public Schools Henrico Recreation & Parks Henrico Libraries Henrico Police Henrico Division of Fire Henrico Humane Society Henrico Refuse Collections Central Virginia Waste Management Authority (Recycling) Chamber RVA

Henrico News

Actions

Former NICU nurse Erin Strotman sentenced to 3 years in prison in Henrico baby abuse case

2024: The Initial Discovery & Closure

2025: Arrests, Investigations & State Findings

2026: Guilty Plea, Sentencing & Legislative Action

Meet your Henrico reporter: A.J. Nwoko