Erin Denny
Posted on 10/23/2010 11:23:30 AM PDT by Graybeard58
JOLIET — Paul Carlos wondered why his 2-year-old son was so well behaved with his babysitter, so he set up a secret camera to record her with the child. When he played the tape, he watched in horror as she allegedly beat the small boy into submission.
“It was the most amazing thing I ever saw in my life. It was horrible,” Carlos said before he was overcome with emotion.
Now the babysitter, 52-year-old Erin Denny, is jailed on a felony charge of aggravated battery to a child. But the child’s father was arrested as well for allegedly coming after the woman and pursuing her in circles around a kitchen island.
“I was chasing her,” confirmed Carlos, 34. “My mom saved her. What do you do? I saw red, you know?”
Denny reportedly injured herself during the chase. She was treated for a sore hip, wrist and ribs at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center before being taken to jail Thursday.
Denny was in court this afternoon and her bond was set at $150,000.
Denny was also charged with a parole violation. She was released from Dwight Correctional Center in August 2009 after serving a year and three months for the manufacture or delivery of heroin. Denny has also done time for retail theft and possession of a controlled substance. She has 1995 and 2007 misdemeanor prostitution convictions and a 1998 domestic battery conviction as well.
Charged with misdemeanor assault, Carlos was released on his own recognizance.
Carlos, a Teamster truck driver, said Denny was a family friend and lived with his mother in her East Washington Street home. He would drop his young son off with Denny at his mother’s residence on his way to work.
Carlos said he wondered why his child responded so obediently to Denny compared to others.
“He’s going through the terrible twos, (but) he listens to her,” Carlos said. “That struck me as kind of odd.”
He decided to secretly recording the woman with a camera disguised as a clock radio.
“We bought a nanny cam off eBay,” he said, and set it up in his mother’s living room to start recording when it sensed motion.
When he got home from work Tuesday, Carlos said he sat down at his computer and propped his son up on his lap so they could watch the recording together.
“I didn’t think there was going to be anything bad on that video,” he explained, telling how his son panicked at the sight of himself being beaten by the babysitter.
“He screamed and he jumped,” Carlos said. “If you could have seen the look of fear on my little boy’s face.”
He said the attack was prompted by Denny failing to find the TV remote control.
“Erin couldn’t find the remote for the TV and went over there and started beating him repeatedly,” Carlos said, telling of the shock he felt when he watched the video.
“I never would have guessed,” he said. “She seemed like such a nice lady.”
Carlos, who says he opposes corporal punishment and does not spank his son, choked back tears.
“It struck me as off that he listened to (Denny) and nobody else,” he repeated. “Now I see it was out of fear.”
Erin Denny
Come on, surely you can’t look at this woman and think she’d be a wonderful caregiver for your child? And no back ground check with a heroin conviction? I think that would be easy enough to find out, criminal histories are a matter of public record in Missouri so I would assume so in other states as well.
As far as the father chasing her around, go to a jury and see how far that will get you. I’m glad he didn’t catch her for his son’s sake - but place no blame on him whatsoever - other than hiring someone like this to take care of his child.
Somehow, I think even Lazmataz would not be impressed.
I hope she voted “early”.
How funny, strangely he was also the first person that came to mind after seeing her picture.
She must be pretty quick for an old broad! Hell she looks 62.
He wondered why the child obeyed her and no one else, is this a case of spare the rod spoil the child? Well she certainly didn’t spare it.
Who the eff would ever let that nutcase looking monstrosity into their home to watch their children?
That said, I don’t know why it is against the law to liquidate some bastard who beats your child like that.
Only Helen Thomas could be more guilty.
They are in Illinois as well but finding the info you need is a different story.
I've used Missouri's "casenet" and it's a handy tool but it's fairly new and not every county, or city is on line yet and among those that are, there is too much incomplete information or none at all in certain cases. Scott, Cape Girardeau, Stoddard, New madrid and Mississippi counties are especially bad.
Don’t want to hijack the thread but I like your tag line.
Reminds me of two other sayings I like:
When seconds count, police are only minutes away.
I carry a gun because cops are too heavy.
Ozark, I’m with you. I looked at that photo - and even factoring in the reality that nobody is going to look great in a mug shot - and thought precisely what you said. Meanwhile, court dockets are easily accessible these days. Hubby and I check out all of our prospective tenants and if I was looking for a caregiver, I’d be checking out that person with an intensive background check.
Although I misspelled his name. Oopsie.
Agreed they don’t have everything - especially older convictions but her latest (prostitution and heroin manufacturing/selling/whatever) were in about 2008 and 2009. I bet even her older ones should be on there.
I think I’ll look and see if I can find her.
LOL! I love those quips.
Oh never mind, I forgot she’s from Illinois, not sure what to check there and don’t want to take the time. Have used missouri casenet and it’s pretty cool.
Pong!
1) The kid becomes more wild than ever since he knows that no one will stop him...jail by the age 14.
2) The kid becomes a model child and adult due to the father later saying: *If you don't behave, the witch will be back.*
My wife is 66 and she doesn't look like that.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Her face alone .......
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