A former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital NICU nurse was charged after an investigation found multiple premature infants suffered unexplained fractures while under her care, prompting widespread concern about patient safety and hospital oversight.
Former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital NICU nurse Erin Strotman entered no-contest pleas to nine felony child abuse charges connected to injuries suffered by nine infants in the NICU.
The court heard a detailed summary of evidence, including expert testimony concluding the infants’ injuries were non-accidental and inconsistent with accepted NICU nursing standards.
A sentencing hearing is set for June 5, 2026, where families are expected to deliver victim impact statements and the judge will determine penalties.
Disclaimer: This article discusses child abuse and violence and may be triggering to some readers.
Former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital NICU nurse Erin Elizabeth Anne Strotman has entered no-contest pleas to nine counts of felony child abuse, formally resolving the criminal phase of a case that has deeply shaken the NICU nursing community nationwide.
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On January 15, 2026, Strotman, 27, of Chesterfield County, appeared in Henrico County Circuit Court before Judge Richard S. Wallerstein, Jr., where she pled no contest to nine Class 6 felony child abuse charges connected to injuries suffered by nine infants in the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Each charge carries a maximum statutory penalty of up to five years of incarceration. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. The court permitted Strotman to remain out on existing conditions pending sentencing, noting her compliance to date.
“The Commonwealth offered what its evidence would have been had there been a trial; such was discussed in a PowerPoint,” Taylor stated.
That evidence included expert testimony from Dr. Robin Foster, a board-certified child abuse pediatrician, radiologists, and hospital administrators. According to Taylor:
“The conclusion of such expert testimony was the actions by Strotman as she administered care to these nine babies was contrary to the standard of care and demonstrated a level of recklessness for the babies’ well-being.”
The case was presented chronologically, including injuries dating back to 2022, after an additional family came forward during the investigation. The defense offered evidence related to Strotman’s training and background. Both parties requested acceptance of the plea agreement, which the court approved.
Attorney Statement
Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor issued this statement on the pleas of no contest by Erin Elizabeth Anne Strotman, 27, of Chesterfield County, to the nine counts of Felony Child Abuse in connection with the Henrico Doctor’s Hospital NICU investigation that identified nine babies as victims.
"Today in Henrico County Circuit Court, Erin Elizabeth Anne Strotman, 27, of Chesterfield County, plead no contest to 9 counts of felony child abuse, each a Class 6 Felony, before Judge Richard S. Wallerstein, Jr. The maximum statutory penalty for a Class 6 felony child abuse is 5 years of incarceration.
“The Commonwealth offered what its evidence would have been had there been a trial; such was presented in a PowerPoint, which is attached hereto. The Commonwealth presented the case in a chronological manner, to include the 2022 family coming forward after the initial charging of these matters began. The Commonwealth offered expert testimony of Dr. Robin Foster and others, in addition to the findings of some professional administrators, regarding the care that Strotman provided, and the conclusion of such expert testimony was the actions by Strotman as she administered care to these nine babies was contrary to the standard of care and demonstrated a level of recklessness for the babies well-being.
“The defense offered some additional evidence regarding Strotman’s training, and both parties asked the Court to accept the plea agreement. The Court accepted the plea agreement and set a sentencing hearing for June 5, 2026, at 11 o’clock.
“The Court permitted Strotman to remain out on the conditions since she had been compliant to date.
“While this is the first phase of this matter being brought to a resolution, we still have a sentencing hearing set for June 5 at 11:00 a.m. wherein we hope that all nine families will be able to testify as to how this whole matter has impacted them.
“I have always made it a priority to ensure that we would be able to ask the Court to hold Erin Strotman accountable for all of the families being impacted. We made a promise to these families that we would continue to work on this matter, and I intended for us to keep that promise.
“There was much work that went into reaching this point so I would like to thank again the dedicated personnel of the Henrico Police Division and Henrico Child Protective Services (Department of Social Services), as well as the staff of my office, and, again, I thank both the Virginia Department of Health and Virginia State Police for their assistance."
The June sentencing hearing is expected to include victim impact statements from the affected families.
“While this is the first phase of this matter being brought to a resolution, we still have a sentencing hearing set for June 5… wherein we hope that all nine families will be able to testify as to how this whole matter has impacted them,” Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized that the case reflects years of investigation and coordination among multiple agencies.
“I have always made it a priority to ensure that we would be able to ask the Court to hold Erin Strotman accountable for all of the families being impacted,” she said.
How the Case Unfolded
The investigation began in September 2023, when Henrico Doctors’ Hospital leadership contacted Henrico County Child Protective Services after identifying four NICU infants with unexplained fractures.
According to the Commonwealth, hospital records showed that some injuries had been identified weeks before CPS was notified. Medical experts later concluded the injuries were not related to birth trauma and were concerning for non-accidental injury.
A joint investigation involving CPS and Henrico County Police was launched. However, prosecutors later explained that the investigation was significantly limited by the NICU care model at the time:
Nurses operated under a team-based care system
There was no reliable method to track which staff members provided hands-on care
No video surveillance existed inside individual NICU rooms
Because investigators could not identify a single suspect, no criminal charges were filed in 2023, though CPS ultimately made a Founded Level 1 finding of abuse, identifying the perpetrator as a hospital employee.
New Injuries and Video Evidence in 2024
In November 2024, CPS was notified of new injuries involving another NICU infant. This time, investigators had access to in-room surveillance video, which fundamentally changed the case.
According to prosecutors, video footage showed Strotman handling infants in a manner multiple experts concluded was inconsistent with accepted NICU nursing standards. Additional footage allegedly showed that the concerning behavior occurred more frequently when she was alone.
Following the investigation, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital installed high-quality surveillance cameras inside patient rooms and reinforced child abuse reporting education.
According to a 16-page disciplinary order, Strotman was captured on NICU surveillance video aggressively handling infants as small as 11 ounces. One clip shows her bending a baby’s legs forcefully toward his neck, falling while holding him, and applying significant pressure to the infant’s torso. Other footage allegedly shows her twisting an infant's head and putting pressure on their torso. These actions reportedly led to drops in vital signs and extensive injuries such as fractures and rib damage. Other injuries reported include:
Fractures
Bruising on the chest
Fingerprint-shaped bruises
Mishandling captured on video
Multiple reviewing agencies, including CPS, hospital leadership, and the Virginia Department of Health, identified Strotman as the only caregiver whose conduct raised concern.
Investigators later linked additional injuries to infants treated in late 2024, as well as a case from 2022, after another family came forward.
Arrest, Charges, and License Suspension
Strotman was arrested on January 3, 2025, initially facing two charges. As additional cases were identified, the charges expanded to 20 felony counts, including felony child abuse and malicious wounding.
In February 2025, the Virginia Board of Nursing suspended her nursing license, calling her a “substantial danger to public health or safety.”
In early January 2025, public outrage grew when rumors circulated that Strotman had targeted infants based on race. On January 7, Henrico Police Chief Eric English publicly stated that preliminary investigations found no evidence of racial targeting.
Authorities urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation while the sensitive investigation remains ongoing.
While racial targeting was ruled out, the parents of victims reported that all affected infants were boys — a pattern noted but not officially confirmed as relevant to the abuse allegations.
The accused, 26-year-old Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman of Chesterfield County, faced claims of targeting Black infants. However, Chief English emphasized that such claims were “not factual” based on the preliminary findings of the investigation conducted by Henrico Police.
Henrico Police is aware of editorial social media videos discussing the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital NICU investigation. These individuals in the video claim the victims were targeted by the suspect on account of their race. The preliminary investigation indicates this information is not factual.
As with any investigation, the Henrico County Police Division is utilizing all available resources to ensure a thorough investigation into this matter. This involves reviewing dozens of videos from inside the NICU. Due to the sensitive nature of these cases, specific information including race/gender/types of injuries, etc. is not able to be released; detectives do not want to compromise the investigation moving forward.
“We understand the feelings and emotions this investigation has generated for our community members and beyond,” said Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. English. “We kindly request patience as our detectives work to investigate every piece of evidence in connection to these cases. The Henrico County Police Division is working seamlessly with our partners, including the Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, to investigate these cases; we will not be deterred.”
Additionally, these videos direct citizens to contact the Henrico County Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) to share their thoughts and information on the investigation. If you have information specific to this investigation, please contact Henrico Police at police@henrico.gov. You may also submit tips anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or by using P3tips.com.
Calls to the DEC are for active incidents. We respectfully ask only individuals who have emergency or non-emergency-related incidents to call the DEC.
Authorities urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified information while the investigation remained ongoing.
Hospital Settlements and Oversight Failures
In mid-2025, HCA Health Services of Virginia, the hospital’s parent company, reached confidential settlements with nine families involving injuries to ten infants, including a set of twins who later died. Not all injuries were legally attributed to Strotman, but all occurred during the period under investigation.
The hospital faced intense scrutiny for allowing Strotman to return to patient care after the 2023 investigation and for delays in reporting concerns to CPS.
In response, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital implemented:
In-room surveillance cameras
A buddy-observer system in the NICU
Enhanced child abuse reporting and training requirements
What Happens Next
By entering no-contest pleas, Strotman has not formally admitted guilt, but the court will consider the Commonwealth’s evidence when determining sentencing.
The June 5, 2026 sentencing hearing will determine whether incarceration, probation, or other penalties will be imposed.
Community Call to Action
Law enforcement urged anyone with information regarding the case to contact Henrico Police at police@henrico.gov or to submit anonymous tips via Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000 or P3tips.com.
Nurse.org will continue to follow this case closely and provide updates as sentencing approaches.
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Education: Bachelor of the Arts (BA), Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies - Ethnicity, Gender, and Labor, University of Washington
