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

According to Coleman’s office, Hartupee received five years in prison, after pleading guilty to one count of Criminal Abuse First Degree (Class C felony) earlier this month. Last year, Spence pleaded guilty to one count of Criminal Abuse First Degree (Class C felony) and one count of Criminal Abuse Second Degree (Class D felony). Spence was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Hartupee and Spence were both previously indicted by Montgomery County grand juries.

In July 2018, Spence intentionally abused and/or intentionally permitted another to abuse his 2-month-old daughter. According to the indictment, he inflicted abusive head trauma, resulting in bilateral subdural hematomas and retinal hemorrhages and requiring a permanent shunt to be placed in the baby’s brain. Hartupee, the child’s mother, unlawfully permitted the abuse.

Following a separate guilty plea entered last year, Spence was sentenced for the 2021 burning of a 6-year-old child with a cigarette 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, it’s my hope these children can find healing and get the childhood they deserve,” Coleman said.

The 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.