Caregiver scalds 10-year-old with kitchen pot as punishment, Florida cops say

A caregiver scalded a 10-year-old child with a kitchen pot as punishment, a Florida sheriff’s office said.

The 29-year-old woman, who was caring for the 10-year-old and two other children in Sun City Center, took the pot that she had just used to heat instant ramen and held it against the 10-year-old’s arm, according to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman was punishing the child for pretending to spill a bowl of ramen on another child, the release says.

The victim had a burn that was about 4 inches long.

Authorities arrested the caregiver on July 19 on a charge of aggravated child abuse, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sun City Center is about 30 miles south of Tampa.

“Children will be children, but an adult should know better than to use such great physical punishment to try to correct their bad behavior,” Hillsborough County 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.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Caregiver scalds 10-year-old with kitchen pot as punishment, Florida cops say."