A nurse from Virginia admitted to abusing nine babies in neonatal care and could receive only three years in prison
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A judge in Virginia found Erin Strotman, a former neonatal intensive care nurse, guilty of multiple counts of aggravated child abuse. These are linked to injuries suffered by babies admitted to a hospital in Richmond.
Strotman, 27 years old, entered a no contest plea—a legal mechanism that allows a conviction without an express admission of guilt—on January 15 to 20 charges. Among them were malicious wounding and severe child abuse, for acts that occurred between 2022 and 2024 while she was working in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.
After accepting the agreement, the court found her guilty of nine counts of severe child abuse. The sentence will be handed down next June 5. Until then, she will remain free on bail.
Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, enfermera que rompió los huesos de nueve bebés
"Inexplicable" injuries and key videos
The case began to take shape in 2024, when hospital authorities launched an internal investigation after three babies presented fractures that could not be medically explained.
According to the criminal complaint, security camera footage showed Strotman mistreating a five-month-old baby in November 2024. In the video, the nurse allegedly took the child by the legs and forced them until the feet were brought up to the level of the head.
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, donde se cometió la mala praxis.
Authorities indicated that the episode was consistent with another case that occurred in 2023. Despite this, that year Strotman was only placed on administrative leave and later authorized to return to her position in 2024.
After the opening of the criminal investigation, new elements emerged that linked the former nurse to injuries suffered by a total of nine babies.
Charges and professional sanctions
Ultimately, Strotman was formally charged with 20 counts of malicious wounding and severe child abuse. In May 2025, the Virginia Nursing Board suspended her professional license.
Virginia Nursing Board suspendió la licencia de la enfermera recién en 2025
According to WRIC, prosecutors recommended a three-year prison sentence as part of the agreement reached with the defense.
The defendant's attorney, Jeffrey Everhart, maintained that the agreement represents a "fair and reasonable" resolution, in which both parties gave up positions to avoid a trial.
Controversy over racial allegations
The case gained national prominence after claims circulated on social media suggesting that Strotman deliberately targeted African American babies. However, Henrico Police denied those assertions.
Amid the controversy, it also emerged that all the babies identified as victims in the case were boys. This is a fact that was mentioned by relatives of those affected and that was not denied by the authorities.
In particular, two African American parents—Tori and Dominique Hackey—told local media that the injuries suffered by their son were part of the criminal investigation. At that time, the police were analyzing seven cases, of which three correplied to African American babies and four to white babies, all male.
