A Pinellas County caregiver who also held a job at a St. Petersburg daycare was arrested after surveillance footage allegedly showed her assaulting a 10-year-old non-verbal child with autism inside a Largo group home. Detectives identified the suspect as 38-year-old Shannon Cooper, who was taken into custody on January 21 and booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a child abuse charge. The case began after the child's father noticed visible injuries during a December pickup and reported what he saw to deputies, which triggered the investigation.
What the video shows
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, detectives reviewed surveillance video that shows Cooper "excessively battering" the child. The sheriff's release says the recording captures Cooper yanking the victim by the collar, striking the child multiple times without provocation, straddling the child and pressing her weight down, and throwing the child into furniture before leading the child into areas with no camera coverage. Deputies reported the child had bruising on the neck and both arms, along with scratches on the face and hands.
Employee also worked at St. Petersburg daycare
Investigators said Cooper was employed by Retmus Academy of Learning at 2800 26th Avenue South in St. Petersburg, a detail that local outlets later confirmed. FOX 13 Tampa Bay and other stations pulled from the sheriff's release as they reported the arrest and shared the allegations with a wider audience. The sheriff's office has emphasized that, under state privacy laws, it will not release any information that could identify the child.
Timeline and ongoing investigation
Per the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, deputies first responded on December 21, 2025, when the father reported his child's injuries. After detectives reviewed the footage, Cooper was arrested on January 21, 2026. The agency's announcement reiterates that Florida law blocks the release of any details that would tend to identify the 10-year-old victim. Local newsrooms recirculated the sheriff's release this week as the case drew fresh attention and renewed outrage.
Charges and legal context
Cooper was charged with child abuse. Under Florida law, child abuse that does not result in great bodily harm is generally prosecuted as a third-degree felony, which can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison. That classification appears in Florida Statute 827.03, which outlines the offenses and penalties for child abuse and aggravated child abuse. State law also affirms that individuals with developmental disabilities have a right to be free from abuse and unnecessary restraint, a protection spelled out in Florida Statute 393.13.
Investigators say the inquiry remains active and are asking anyone with information to call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at 727-582-6200. In line with privacy safeguards for minors and people with developmental disabilities, officials say they will not release further details that could identify the victim.
