Sarah Hart was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday afternoon on two counts of cruelty to children. The jury acquitted her on one count and could not decide on another charge. The charges stemmed from a July 13, 2017 incident at the Sun Inn where 15-month-old Lillian Slagle was found unresponsive. The little girl’s older brother was also in Hart’s care. Hart got the kids when the mother, Alison Slagle, was arrested in Henry County. The father of the kids, Hart’s brother, is in prison. Lillian was scarred for life and will require care for the rest of her life. Dr. Verena Brown of Children’s Health Care of Atlanta, testified to Lillian’s injuries and severe malnutrition. When she arrived at the hospital, Lillian charted as an eight-month-old and weighed just over 15 pounds due to malnourishment. Hart denied harming the child but admitted she had never taken her for any medical care. The jury hung up on a charge of aggravated battery and found Hart not guilty on one count of first degree cruelty to children. She was found guilty on one count of first degree cruelty and one count of second degree cruelty. Judge Wilson gave her 20 years on the first degree charge and 10 years consecutive on the second degree charge. “The picture of that child and how she will have to live the rest of her life is something that will be with me forever,” the judge told Hart. For much more on this story, see the 7.23.19 print edition of The Herald Gazette.
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