A Minot woman has been sentenced to two and a half years with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after pleading guilty to child abuse of a child less than a year old.

Donna Kajune, 28, appeared before Judge Gary Lee on Tuesday, Aug. 26, in Minot, when she pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse-victim under six, a Class B felony.

Her co-defendant Phill Clifton Boswell, 44, Minot, had previously pleaded guilty and received an identical sentence on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

According to court documents, Kajune and Boswell were charged after an investigation into a report from Sept. 17, 2024, of possible child abuse of a child less than a year old who had facial bruising. Kajune and Boswell were taken into custody on Feb. 10 and interviewed at the Ward County Jail. Kajune stated she and Boswell had in the past flicked the infant in the face with a finger when the child would cry or was fussy.

Lee sentenced Kajune to serve 10 years with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, with all but two years and six months suspended pending three years of supervised probation. Kajune was given credit for 111 days served, and ordered to complete an anger management course and a parenting capacity evaluation.

Kajune must register as an offender against children, and have no contact with the victim and maintain a 150 foot distance provision. She was assessed $125 in court fines and fees.

Boswell and Kajune had previously pleaded guilty in 2021 in a prior case when Class A felony child abuse and Class B felony child abuse chargers were amended to counts of Class C felony child neglect.