OLIVIA, Minn. 鈥� A former day care provider in Olivia will serve 60 days in jail for a gross misdemeanor conviction of failing to report the alleged sexual abuse of children in her care by a juvenile male.
District Judge Dwayne Knutsen sentenced Peggy Jo Uhlenkamp, 45, to serve 120 days in jail, but stayed 60 days of the sentence on conditions. She must serve two years of unsupervised probation. Uhlenkamp appeared Tuesday, Sept. 3, in Renville County District Court for sentencing.
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The judge deferred the start of the jail sentence until Oct. 21 on the condition that she follow recommendations issued by Renville County Human Services in a Child in Need of Help or Protection order.
Uhlenkamp entered an Alford plea to the offense on Sept. 3. Her plea was part of an agreement in which three gross misdemeanor charges of neglect for knowingly permitting physical or sexual abuse of a child were dismissed. In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but agrees the prosecution likely had enough evidence to convict her if she went to trial.
Alford pleas are treated like any other guilty plea at the time of sentencing.
The plea agreement did not include a recommended sentence.
As a licensed day care provider, Uhlenkamp was a mandated reporter, required by law to report any incidents of abuse. According to court records, she did not report the alleged abuse at her home day care after several children told her about it. She lost her license after her son Trent was accused of molesting the children.
Trent Uhlenkamp, 17, was found incompetent to stand trial on three felony charges of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Court records indicate that at least four children told investigators that he touched their private parts and changed clothes in front of them and made them touch his genitals.
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The teen reportedly has developmental delays.
According to court records, the mother of at least one of the alleged victims contacted the Renville County Sheriff鈥檚 Office Jan. 28 after her child told her of the abuse. Trent Uhlenkamp was arrested a few days later.
