Cellphone video of spanking leads to child abuse charge
SANFORD, N.C. -- Cellphone video capturing an infant wandering off from her mother, who in turn spanks the child, has led to a criminal charge.
Kristina Ford, 19, has been cited for misdemeanor child abuse. The Sanford, N.C., teen's charge is tied to an incident that occurred last month at a gas station.
An eyewitness pumping gas at the Carthage Street Kangaroo on May 21 said she pulled out her cell phone to capture Ford's interaction with her 10-month-old girl.
The video shows the infant crawling along the sidewalk in front of the store before a woman, identified by police as Ford, picks her up, and spanks the child repeatedly. Ford then places the child on the ground by an ice machine.
Julie Williams Smith said she became concerned after seeing Ford repeatedly spank the baby girl. She said it happened four or five times when the baby crawled several feet away from her mother outside the store.
"She had picked the baby up by its onesie so the baby was hanging like this," said Smith, demonstrating how the baby was held in the air. "And she spanked the baby and I thought 'Well, she's going to do something else you know,' so that's when I said I'm getting my phone and I'm going to record this."
Click here to see the raw video.
Smith then called 911 and requested an officer to come to the gas station.
"I thought I can't believe the baby's on the ground to begin with on the nasty sidewalk and then to see her pick her up by her onesie," Smith continued, adding it occurred while the mother was outside having a conversation. "I mean if the snaps had come loose the baby would have fallen on her head."
When the officer arrived, police said Ford was about to pull out of the parking lot with the infant.
Unable to catch the officer's attention, Smith said she forwarded the video to police that evening, and she'd also posted it to Facebook.
Sanford police, having interacted with Ford in the parking lot, were able to identify her as the woman in the video.
"That helped out a lot," said Capt. Harold Layton, referring to Smith's video.
Layton said the child abuse charges stem from the baby being unattended and for the spanking.
"It's a 10-month-old child here," said Layton. "It's a little of both."
"I've got children of my own and I've got my granddaughter and I wouldn't treat an animal that way," Smith said.
Smith said the baby's paternal grandparents reached out to her on Facebook and told her they are attempting to gain custody of the child.
ABC11 was unable to reach Ford for comment. Her first court appearance is scheduled for July 30.
Reporting Suspected Child Abuse
Authorities agree the video evidence was helpful in pursuing this case, but they encourage people to call police first.
"I would urge anyone to call 911 first in order to get the police in action," said Lisa Shearer, a Lee County Child Protective Services supervisor. "Or, have someone call 911 while you're recording."
While Shearer could not comment on Ford's case specifically, she said the department has a number of options regarding the care of a child as a parent awaits a child abuse-related court appearance.
Police, and CPS if called upon, will look at the case on an individual basis, and see if next-of-kin is a proper option for the child.
In severe cases, CPS receives the court's permission to take custody of the child and place the child in a foster home.
In this case, Ford was cited, which means she did not have to go before a magistrate and she was not jailed. Authorities could not comment on her child's whereabouts.
Shearer also reminds people that they can report suspected child abuse to CPS in any county, around the clock.
"We're available any time of day and you can provide your contact information or remain anonymous," she said.
