Horton sentenced to 12 months jail in relation to child abuse case
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HARRISVILLE -- Sabrina Horton, 23, was sentenced to 12 months in jail with three years probation in the 23rd Circuit Court in Alcona County on Tuesday.
She pleaded guilty to charges of using computers to commit a crime and one count of accessory after the fact to a felony on Feb. 20, the day of co-defendant Nickolas Corey's preliminary examination for first-degree child abuse.
Horton was originally arraigned and charged with first-degree child abuse on Jan. 12, but that charge was dismissed in the plea deal with an agreement to testify against Corey.
Corey was sentenced to 70 months to 20 years in prison on Aug. 25 after pleading guilty to one charge of first-degree child abuse.
At Corey's preliminary examination in February, The News reported that the victim in the alleged abuse was Corey and Horton's three month old infant. Corey and Horton were previously a couple.
It was alleged that Corey was awake with his three month old infant on the night of May 22, 2025. On the morning of May 23, 2025, the child was struggling to breathe, was cold to the touch, and had his arms sticking straight out in front of him with clenched fists. Horton called 911 and the child was transported to MyMichigan Medical Center Tawas. From there, the infant was transported to Hurley Medical Center in Flint, and then to University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.
Dr. Carla Parkin-Joseph, child abuse pediatrician at C.S. Mott testified during the examination that the most consistent diagnosis, in relation to the injuries identified for the child, would be child physical abuse or abusive head trauma.
Abusive head trauma is the term now used for what was formerly called shaken baby syndrome.
Last week Wednesday, Horton had a bond violation hearing where she was put on house arrest and required drug testing. She violated bond for being arrested on a charge of possession of methamphetamine on Sept. 18.
It was also alleged at the bond violation hearing that Horton was living in a residence with two known felons, according to Judge Laura Frawley.
After testimony by Alcona County Sheriff Deputy Andrew Wright, Frawley said she was not satisfied with the evidence provided that Horton was residing with the two felons.
Frawley said at Tuesday's sentencing that Horton had been tested for drugs twice since Wednesday and tested positive for methamphetamine and marijuana both times.
Defense Attorney Devin Pommerenke asked if tests for levels of methamphetamine were also conducted. Circuit Court Clerk Brooke Sommer said that testing was done but the results are not back yet.
Alcona County Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Reed argued that Horton should be sentenced above the guidelines to two years in prison. She presented evidence that Horton had neglected to call emergency services for hours knowing that the child needed help.
Reed showed two video clips of the infant child in court, one clip two days before the child was hospitalized on May 23, 2025 of a smiling, healthy-looking baby, and the other a clip of video footage from 8:30 a.m. on May 23, 2025 where Corey is holding what appears to be a "not well" and possibly "unconscious" child in the residence he and Horton lived in at the time.
Horton did not call 911 until 11:52 a.m. to seek medical assistance, despite being told by her mother that the child needed help much earlier in the morning. Horton's mother is hard of hearing.
"And from that point, her lying starts," Reed said about Horton.
She said that Horton had given alternate information to medical personnel and law enforcement. Horton initially blamed her mother for what happened to the child. She also initiated the text to Corey to get their timeline of events straight.
"It's very clear from the evidence that this child suffered for a period of hours," Reed said. "It may have contributed to more severe injury than not."
Reed said that it appears that Horton is on a "downward spiral" and that she is not willing and maybe not able to care about anyone but herself.
"That's a very dangerous situation for the community, but especially when you have an infant involved."
Pommerenke argued during allocution that the judge should sentence within the guidelines.
He said that it was a mischaracterization to say that Horton was an active participant in the events at the beginning of the "horrific episode."
Pommerenke said that Corey was the authoritarian in the relationship. That doesn't excuse Horton's actions or lack of actions, but explains that in a high stress situation, a person who typically takes an anxious backseat to somebody who has control, could have taken an action that would only have made the situation worse. He said that Horton's mother also appears to be an assertive person.
"From Sabrina Horton's perspective that day, it was very confusing. She doesn't want to step on anyone's toes in a high stress situation for fear of making the situation worse," Pommerenke said.
He said Horton may have been stressed when initially talking to officers and did not want to step on any toes, explaining why her story was different at the start. She started questioning whether Corey did something rather than her mother, and slowly pulled away and did the right thing.
Pommerenke addressed the text from Horton about getting the timelines straight. He said that they may have started that conversation orally, so it was not necessarily Horton who came up with the idea.
"This is not a case where Ms. Horton is willfully committing abuse onto her child in concert with Mr. Corey," Pommerenke said. "This is somebody who is both confused and anxious and slow to get on the ball, but it’s not an act of being overly aggressive with her child."
Pommerenke said that he believes that Horton can be rehabilitated, that she is engaged in counseling services already, and wants to become an American Sign Language interpreter.
Horton had a chance to speak and apologize.
"I'm sorry, and I could have done better," she said. "I could have done a lot better."
Frawley said she is not so sure that Horton is a person that can be rehabilitated, although she admitted that Pommerenke argued well on Horton's behalf.
Frawley said that Horton's involvement with known felons and the fact she tested positive for methamphetamine and continued to do so is not indicative of someone who intends to turn their life around.
Frawley also said that not attending to an infant in serious trouble for at least two hours is "the picture of neglect."
"Maybe you were intimidated in your household," Frawley said. "But I don't think that excuses your lack of action on behalf of your own child."
Frawley sentenced Horton to 12 months in jail with three years probation. Horton will be required to earn her GED, be subject to drug testing, find work while on probation, and not be found in the company of any known felons while on probation.