Paulding County daycare owner denied bond by judge on Friday
PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Paulding County judge denied bond Friday for a daycare owner who faces new child abuse charges after detectives said they uncovered more video evidence.
“The abuse is just – it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said Sgt. Ashley Henson, a spokesman for the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office. “She’s physically striking them all over, multiple times. It’s not a situation where it’s just pop on the bottom.”
Investigators with the sheriff’s office originally arrested 63-year-old Goldia Marie Lipsky in January for incidents involving five different children who range in age from eight months to three years. Lipsky ran the daycare center out of her home on Mill Creek Lane in Hiram.
An anonymous tipster initially alerted detectives on Jan. 25, prompting an investigation.
“Once detectives were alerted by a tipster of video evidence which clearly shows the assaults taking place on Jan. 12, detectives determined who the suspect was and secured a search warrant for the daycare and arrest warrants for the suspect,” officials said in a statement.
Authorities arrested Lipsky, and state officials then shut down the daycare operation, known as Reach For The Sky Academy, LLC.
“She no longer had access to children,” said Henson. “Children were not staying at her home anymore.”
While Lipsky was out of jail on bond, investigators were able to look through more videos from Lipsky’s surveillance system where seven days worth of footage prior to the first incident were stored. Henson says those videos showed Lispky abusing the children 17 times, so authorities arrested her again Wednesday on a second set of charges.
The 17 new counts include aggravated assault and felony cruelty to children in the first degree. A judge granted a bond for Lipsky bond after the Jan. 25 arrest. But Friday, Paulding County Magistrate Court Judge Lisa Baty denied bond, telling Lipsky that once she speaks with her attorney, they can revisit the issue of the bond at a later date.
The investigation continues, and Henson says it’s possible that more charges could be filed against Lipsky. Detectives encourage anyone who might have additional information regarding Reach For The Sky Academy, LLC home daycare -- or know of any additional victims from this daycare -- to call the Investigations Tip Line at (770) 443-3047 or send a tip via the Paulding Sheriff Mobile app.
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