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South Carolina mother arrested after allegedly ‘waterboarding’ her sleeping infant daughter

Posted at 3:52 PM, Jan 31, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-31 16:52:28-05

A mother in South Carolina is facing cruelty to children charges after she was allegedly seen in a disturbing video “waterboarding” her sleeping infant.

Caitlin Alyse, 33, was arrested Wednesday following reports she had shared footage of child abuse with the caption “payback for waking me up all kinda times of da night,” the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office told  Columbia station WIS.

A warrant was issued for her arrest on Wednesday, according to the mother of “ill-treatment” that caused “unnecessary pain and suffering” for the young girl.

“The mother said she did it as a joke,” Capt. Robert Burnish, head of Sumter County Sheriff’s investigations division, told BuzzFeed News.

During the 36-second clip, a woman can be heard laughing as she holds a bottle of Aquafina water over the baby’s cheek as she sleeps in her crib.  The woman tips some water onto her face and the little girl starts to cough and gasp, causing the mother to laugh harder.

The infant, still asleep, then turns back on her side and coughs again. After a few more seconds, the hand spills more water directly onto the baby’s nose, startling her and causing her to jump up with a loud cry.

Charges were filed against Hardy for cruelty to children. Authorities said there were three other children in the house in addition to the event.

“The charges against this defendant will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis told the Columbia TV station.

Hardy was later released after posting a $1,500 bond.