A Rockwell City woman has entered a plea in a felony child endangerment case involving her infant son.
22-year-old Emma Swanson was arrested in June and initially pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including willful injury causing serious injury. Earlier this month, she entered an Alford plea—maintaining her innocence while acknowledging there is sufficient evidence for a conviction.
Under the plea agreement, all but one felony child endangerment charge will be dropped. That remaining charge has been amended to a Class C felony. The agreement recommends a suspended 10-year prison sentence, four years of probation, and a suspended fine.
Court documents outline a series of incidents between July and October of last year. Swanson is accused of failing to provide food and medical care, and of using unreasonable force that resulted in serious injuries. At two months old, the child was diagnosed with failure to thrive. In one instance, Swanson reportedly recorded a seizure on her phone but did not seek medical help. In another, she delayed care after the child sustained a skull fracture, internal bleeding, and a stroke.
Investigators say Swanson left the child with her boyfriend while she traveled to Des Moines on Oct. 2, 2024. He later urged her to seek medical attention, which she delayed for two days. Doctors at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City determined the injuries were consistent with non-accidental trauma.
The child has been in the care of relatives since last December and continues to receive medical treatment in Storm Lake, physical and occupational therapy in Cherokee, and extensive continual care in Iowa City.
Swanson is scheduled to be sentenced next Monday, Nov. 3, in Calhoun County District Court.
