A local woman arrested for using a Taser on a five-year-old child last year has been sentenced in DeKalb Criminal Court. Nikesha Danielle Cooper, 40, of McMinnville received a two-year sentence last Tuesday after she entered a plea on two counts of child abuse. The sentences are to run concurrently and she is to serve 100 percent. She was given jail credit for 411 days.
Cooper and 37-year-old Mark Dwayne Cantrell of Smithville, were indicted last August for an incident that occurred in August 2021. The child was four years old at the time a Taser was used on the minor.
Cantrell and Cooper were co-indicted on two counts of aggravated child abuse and four counts of child abuse. Cooper was also indicted for one additional count of aggravated child abuse and two additional counts of child abuse.
The indictments allege that, “On or about August 26, 2021 to August 25, 2022 in DeKalb County and before the finding of this indictment, Cantrell and Cooper did unlawfully, knowingly, and other than by accidental means, abuse (victim), a child under 18 years of age, such act of abuse, neglect, or endangerment was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, or involved the infliction of torture to the victim, thereby committing the offense of aggravated child abuse in violation of state law.”
The counts against Cantrell and Cooper for child abuse allege that “On or about August 26, 2021 to August 25, 2022 in DeKalb County and before the finding of this indictment, Cantrell and Cooper did unlawfully, knowingly, and other than by accidental means, abused or neglected, and inflicted injury on (victim), a child under 18 years of age, such act of abuse or neglect so as to adversely affect the child’s health and welfare, thereby committing the offense of child abuse in violation of state law.”
The case against a co-defendant, Cantrell, remains pending in court.
In other Criminal Court cases, 29-year-old Anthony Tate Miller entered plead guilty to sale of a schedule-II controlled substance (methamphetamine) over 0.5 grams, and received an eight-year sentence all suspended to TDOC supervised probation, except for 85 days for which he has already received jail credit. He was also fined $2,000.
Robert Nimmons, 64, plead guilty to three counts of attempted aggravated sexual battery and two counts of solicitation of a minor. He received a six-year sentence in each case, to run concurrently, and will serve 100 percent of the sentence. He was given jail credit from August 15, 2023 to September 10, 2024.
The sex crimes involved a child under 13 years of age at the time in 2023. He was originally charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery and two counts of solicitation of a minor.
