Former day care owner sentenced to 2 years in prison for child abuse

OMAHA - A former day care owner who was caught on video hitting a 4-year-old girl has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Lynn Rowe, 59, had pleaded no contest in November to intentional child abuse. She faced a maximum of three years in prison. Rowe will serve about one year because of a state law that cuts most sentences in half.

She declined to speak with reporters as she was led away in handcuffs Tuesday afternoon. She was arrested April 13, 2017, by the Harrison County Sheriff's Office at a Missouri Valley residence.

Officials have said the abuse occurred March 28, 2017, at Lynn's Learning Center at 3109 S. 112th St. in Omaha.

Rowe was recorded on video hitting the girl in the head, slapping her hands and slamming them onto a desk. The girl's parents, Allen and Kelley Meyers, were given the video, which was secretly taken by a now-former employee. Judge J Russell Derr decided to show the video in court Tuesday.

"I'm glad that she had to see it, because I don't think she's seen it," Kelley Meyers told KMTV. "I'm glad that she has to take responsibility."

Meyers said she felt for Rowe and her family, but is relieved that Rowe is being held accountable.

"Her going to jail doesn't account for the fact that she abused our 4-year-old," Allen Meyers said. "In some respects, yeah, I'm happy with the sentencing, but in another sense, it doesn't seem enough."

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said the girl went through more than the hitting shown on the video.

"It was physical abuse that was videotaped, but the more damage probably relates to the mental well-being of the child from what happened and how it happened," Kleine said. "That's something we wanted to make sure the court understood. We are satisfied with the sentence."

Allen said their daughter still asks them why she can't see her old friends at the day care.

"We don't quite know how to answer," Allen said.

Kleine said the conviction would prevent Rowe from obtaining a license to have any child care business after she serves her time in prison.