MARDELA SPRINGS, Md. (TCD) — A 46-year-old woman will spend more than five decades behind bars for physically abusing children and causing severe injuries while operating an unlicensed day care center out of her home.
The Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office announced that a judge sentenced Nicole Bochenek on May 24 to 55 years in prison for first-degree child abuse, first-degree assault, and two counts of second-degree child abuse. Bochenek pleaded guilty to the charges in March.
According to the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, on June 7, 2023, the Wicomico County Child Advocacy Center received a report of an unresponsive infant who was flown from TidalHealth to Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., for medical treatment. The state’s attorney’s office said the 9-month-old baby suffered abusive blunt force trauma and non-accidental injuries, including skull fractures, brain bleeds, spinal fractures, and other bone fractures.
Bochenek was reportedly caring for the child and other kids in her unlicensed home day care when the injuries occurred.
During the investigation, detectives found a 4-year-old child with a forehead contusion, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators determined Bochenek injured the infant and the 4-year-old.
Bochenek reportedly admitted during an interview with detectives that she had shaken the infant to “silence her cries and that this had been occurring over the course of a couple of weeks.” Prosecutors said the defendant also confessed to hitting the other child.
Investigators later identified a third victim in the case, and all three were under 5 years old.
The defendant was initially arrested on three counts of first-degree child abuse — severe physical injury, first-degree child abuse — ongoing course of conduct, fist-degree assault, second-degree assault, and second-degree child abuse.
Wicomico County State’s Attorney Jamie Dykes said, “These young children were helpless to protect themselves against the horrific abuse suffered at the hands of Bochenek.”