Hearing scheduled for former Joplin day care owner charged with nine counts of child endangerment

A 9 a.m. Wednesday hearing is scheduled for former Joplin day care operator Betsy Coleman, who is charged with nine counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of being a mandated reporter who did not report child abuse.

Coleman, who ran the unlicensed day care out of her home at 1408 W. 8th Street, who is free on bond with the condition that she is no long allowed unsupervised contact with any child under age 18, was charged in March.

Though the probable cause statement in the Coleman case has still not been made accessible through Jasper County Circuit Court online records, it appears the charges were filed in connection with Coleman's one-time live-in boyfriend, Kent Hagan, who has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and it awaiting sentencing.

Hagan was arrested after a Joplin Police Department investigation that started with Coleman telling a woman that Hagan had "creepy photos" showing the bottoms of two children at the unlicensed day care center, as well as numerous child pornography photos.

Coleman told police she deleted the photos.

She also revealed that she kicked Hagan out of the home/day care center, but then she allowed him to return.