Former Swain County couple pleads guilty to 2018 child abuse charges

SWAIN COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) – A former Swain County couple, convicted in a 2018 child abuse case has accepted a plea deal. Daniel Crowder, 42, and his wife, Diane Crowder, 42, each pleaded guilty in Swain County Superior Court Wednesday to felony child abuse charges, steming from an investigation that uncovred severe injuries to a 4-year-old boy in their care who suffered permanent brain damage and, because of a spinal cord injury, now has difficulty walking. The two were each sentenced to serve up to 42 months in prison, the most allowed for that charge under state law. The judge ordered the pair to serve an additional 75 days in the Swain County jail upon their release from state prison.
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