Woman Pleaded Guilty to Felony Child Abuse

Pulaski woman pleaded guilty to felony child abuse of a 6-month-old Tuesday despite the prosecutor’s refusal to offer a plea agreement for acts he termed, supreme evil.



Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney Justin Griffith told the court that the innocence of a child is cherished, and we all know children lose their innocence at different times. Referring to photos of the injured child, and he added that we know the exact moment this baby lost his. You can see the innocence leave his face in these photos.The evidence speaks for itself even though the victim was too young to.


Heather Amanda Gravley pleaded guilty to the most serious charge of child abuse in Virginia, one causing serious injury. The lack of a plea agreement left sentencing entirely up to the court. According to Griffith, Gravley caused abusive head trauma that resulted in significant bruising to the child’s face. The incident occurred Oct. 18, 2019. Gravley has been in jail since Nov. 15.


The defendant reported numerous versions of what actually happened, including striking the child with the palm of her hand. She claimed to be under the influence of oxycodone, which she injected while babysitting the child and had no memory of what happened, Griffith said. Gravley should have known the drugs could render her incapable of caring for the child, Griffith added.


She deserves 10 years in prison  the maximum punishment  not because her addiction rendered her inhuman, but because what she did was inhumane. Griffith called for the maximum sentence, saying Gravley deserves no mercy.


Circuit Court Judge Bradley Finch did impose a 10-year sentence, but he suspended seven years, four months, leaving Gravley two years, eight months to serve. The active sentence was the maximum recommended sentence under state sentencing guidelines.


Virginia inmates typically serve about 85% of their sentence. With credit for the 11 months she has already served awaiting trial, Gravley most likely will have about 16 more months to serve. She will be placed on 10 years of supervised probation upon release.


Public defender Nathan Roberts said his client isn’t evil and understands she has to be punished for her actions. Calling for a one-year sentence, he acknowledged she has a long history of drug addiction and other problems.


After court, Griffith said he was disappointed Gravley didn’t receive the maximum punishment, which he noted should be more than 10 years. Griffith commended Pulaski Police Department and Pulaski County Department of Social Services for conducting a flawless investigation into the case.

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