Centre County woman sentenced to prison in child neglect case. ‘The worst I’ve ever seen’
A Centre County mother was sentenced Monday to the maximum allowed by law for child neglect that tore a family apart and put a spotlight on the trauma that occasionally comes with breaking the cycle of drug addiction.
Sierra M. Long, 37, of Union Township, was sentenced by Centre County Judge Brian Marshall to at least 1 1/2 years in state prison for what he described as “extreme neglect.” She received credit for about five months served in the county jail.
Her prison sentence is capped at seven years, the most allowed by law for a conviction of a third-degree felony. She was declared eligible for the state’s drug treatment program.
Long was charged after her teenage son told state police at Rockview he was concerned about his mother’s methamphetamine use, especially while his three younger siblings were in the house.
In a memo sent to Marshall before the hearing, Centre County Assistant District Attorney Julia Lockman wrote that calling the police on his mother was “undoubtedly a difficult decision for a child.”
Investigators found the children living in squalor. A Centre County Children and Youth Services case worker testified Monday that an infant was found in a soiled diaper, while the rest of the house was filled with dog feces, dirty dishes and garbage.
Troopers also found a host of drugs and paraphernalia, some of which was near the infant’s crib.
“It doesn’t compare,” the caseworker who has worked in that role for two years testified. “It’s the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Long’s teenager would often sleep in a car in the garage to avoid the conditions of the house, Lockman wrote. An 8-year-old told investigators where Long kept drugs.
Lockman wrote that the child also took on a caregiver role, sometimes making macaroni and cheese for their siblings or preparing a bottle for the infant. The child had not received dental care and ultimately needed to be placed under general anesthesia for extensive repairs.
In addition to mental health counseling, the 8-year-old also requires speech, occupational and psychical therapy.
Long’s 3-year-old child was found underweight, filthy and behind on all immunizations. The child was eating a sandwich off the floor that had insects on it when children and youth services arrived, Lockman wrote.
The infant, meanwhile, was “left to defend for himself,” she wrote. The baby was severely underweight, had received no medical care and would repeatedly bang his head on the crib or wall as a method of self-soothing.
“He would scream and cry without receiving an ounce of attention or comfort from his mother,” Lockman wrote.
The baby now has sensory issues, night terrors and aggressive outbursts if food is even briefly removed. The baby receives speech and occupational therapy, Lockman wrote.
All of the children were removed from the home in January and, according to testimony presented Monday, are thriving. Prosecutors said the opposite of Long.
She failed every drug test and blamed her teenage child, which Lockman described as “unconscionable.”
“Defendant takes responsibility for six days,” she wrote. “Defendant has been incarcerated for five months; her words are those of someone who has had time to reflect on her actions, and blaming her child was the closest thing she could muster to accepting responsibility.”
Lawyer Carolyn Larrabee, meanwhile, described Long as someone who was raised in an abusive home. Long began using drugs when she was 18, starting with cocaine before moving to methamphetamine.
She was not accused of physical abuse. Instead, Larrabee said the neglect was born out of Long’s drug addiction that “clouded everything.”
“Without sufficient mental and emotional support to address those traumas, Ms. Long entered her adult life in a vulnerable position, and her actions indicate she is still dealing with the affects of her past traumas, and not-surprisingly, and most unfortunately is passing the trauma on to her children,” Larrabee wrote.
Long, who pleaded guilty in July to one felony count of child endangerment, said little during the hearing. She declined an opportunity to offer a statement before her sentence was handed down.
It’s unclear if she plans to appeal.
Tammy Watkins, 58, of Julian, was charged alongside Long. She is facing four felony counts of child endangerment and 10 misdemeanors. Her pre-trial conference is scheduled for Sept. 16.
April 7, 2025, update: Tammy Watkins was sentenced March 28, 2025, by Centre County Judge Brian Marshall to six to 23 1/2 months in jail and two years of probation. She pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person. The remaining charges were dropped.
This story was originally published September 9, 2024 at 1:07 PM.