SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A South St. Paul daycare worker is facing charges after a young child was found with bruising on her ear, and the child told investigators the worker pulled it.
South St. Paul daycare abuse charges
What we know:
According to a criminal complaint, Karen Denise Dudley, 60, of West St. Paul, is charged with malicious punishment of a child, a gross misdemeanor, in connection with an event that took place between Jan. 28 and Jan. 30, 2026, at a daycare facility in South St. Paul.
The case began on Feb. 2, when the South St. Paul Police Department received a report of child abuse at the daycare. The child's mother had noticed a bruise on the outside top part of her daughter's right ear. When she asked her daughter about it, the girl said, "Mr. Karen pulled my hair."
What they're saying:
The complaint states on Feb. 3, the child was examined by child abuse pediatricians at the Midwest Children's Resource Center. The doctor observed two small, red-purple areas of bruising on the top of the helix of the child's right ear and described the injury as "highly concerning for child physical abuse" and "highly specific for inflicted injury."
Authorities say on Feb. 5, the child participated in a forensic interview. During that interview, she clarified her earlier statement, saying, "Ms. Karen pulled my ear" — and when asked whether it was her hair or her ear, she confirmed it was her ear.
Investigation and response
The backstory:
The complaint states a police officer responded to the daycare facility and spoke with the director, who identified "Karen" as Dudley. The director provided video footage from the facility and told police that Dudley had received other complaints about being too rough with children.
On Feb. 23, a police officer went to Dudley's residence to take a statement. Dudley made several spontaneous statements, including "I didn't do anything," "I don't know what happened… nothing happened to the child," and "she was fine… nothing occurred… nothing wasn't on her… the child was fine when I left."
What we don't know:
It is not yet known what, if anything, the video footage from the daycare facility shows, or what the full outcome of the investigation will be.
The Source: Information provided by charges filed in Dakota County.