Caregiver burned 10-year-old's arm with hot pot to 'teach the child a lesson,' Hillsborough Co. deputies say
(Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
SUN CITY CENTER, Fla. - A Sun City Center woman faces child abuse charges after investigators say she intentionally burned a child as a form of discipline.
Jennifer Posey, 29, was supervising three children back on June 26, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
After Posey had made instant ramen on the stovetop for the children, a 10-year-old child was playing with one of the others and pretended to spill a bowl of soup on her.
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"In an attempt to teach the child a lesson, Posey took a hot pot, which had been used to heat the ramen approximately two minutes prior, and pressed it against the victim's arm," investigators wrote.
The child suffered an approximately four-inch-long burn as a result, the sheriff's office said.
Hillsborough detectives said Posey admitted to burning the victim.
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"Children will be children, but an adult should know better than to use such great physical punishment to try to correct their bad behavior," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "This suspect's actions were intentional, unacceptable, and she will now face the consequences for inflicting unnecessary pain on a helpless child."
Posey is charged with aggravated child abuse.