Daycare provider sentenced to up to 50 years in prison in toddler’s death

EMMETSBURG, Iowa (KTIV/Gray News) - An Iowa judge has sentenced a daycare provider to prison after nearly a four-year infant death investigation.

On Monday, 31-year-old Hannah Priest was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison for one count of child endangerment resulting in the death of Sebastian Jespersen, a 23-month-old who died in 2023.

Priest was the child’s daycare provider at the time.

In September 2023, Priest initially pleaded not guilty, then changed her plea to guilty in October 2026.

On Jan. 19, 2023, Priest reportedly found the infant unresponsive on his sleeping cot.

EMTs responded to the daycare and the child was taken to a hospital in Des Moines.

A few days later, on January 24, 2023, the child died at the hospital.

An autopsy by the Iowa State Medical Examiner determined that the infant had died from brain trauma consistent with inflicted injuries.

After an investigation carried out by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, Priest was arrested on Sept. 1, 2023.

During a May 2023 interview, court documents showed Priest admitted to being frustrated with the infant around naptime because he hadn’t gone to the bathroom yet that day.

She also admitted to putting the infant in the cot by the shoulders and may not have known her own strength while doing so.

During the interview, Priest reportedly admitted to setting him into the cot out of frustration.

Court documents stated that over the course of three interviews between Priest and investigators, she maintained that the infant was acting normally before she put him down for a nap that afternoon.

She had also denied that the infant suffered any accidental head injuries that day. Also denying that any other kids at the daycare struck the 23-month-old child.

Authorities said Priest would be eligible for parole.