By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. — A Blount County woman is facing multiple felony charges after authorities accused her of physically abusing her children and unlawfully surveilling one of them.
Chelsey Herndon, 33, of Hayden, has been charged with three counts of aggravated child abuse and one count of aggravated criminal surveillance, according to jail records.
Investigators allege that Herndon repeatedly struck her three children with spatulas and placed a camera inside her teenage son’s bedroom. Authorities further claim the surveillance was conducted for sexual gratification, leading to the criminal surveillance charge.
Details regarding the ages of the children and the length of the alleged abuse have not yet been released publicly. Court records also do not indicate whether additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
Herndon was booked into the Blount County Jail on Wednesday. Jail records show her bond was set at $105,000. She was released approximately four hours after being booked.
The case has drawn attention because of the seriousness of the allegations, particularly the charge involving criminal surveillance of a minor child. Under Alabama law, aggravated child abuse and aggravated criminal surveillance are felony offenses that can carry significant penalties if a defendant is convicted.
Authorities have not released additional information about what led to the investigation or whether the children are currently in protective custody.
As with all criminal cases, the charges against Herndon are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation remains ongoing.