Escambia County sheriff describes incident as one of the most disturbing in his 40-year career
A Florida woman, Tara Sykes, 36, has been accused of using the online gaming platform Roblox to instruct a 10-year-old child to kill a two-month-old baby by dropping the infant on a solid tile floor. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office revealed the disturbing details in a statement on Monday, adding that the baby is expected to survive.
Disturbing allegations of child abuse via Roblox
Sykes allegedly used Roblox’s social media function to connect with the child and instruct them to commit several violent acts. According to authorities, Sykes also told the child to drown the baby, pour boiling water on the infant, and slit the throats of the adults they were living with. The child was then allegedly instructed to set the bodies of the adults on fire using flammable aerosol spray.
Although the 10-year-old was unable to carry out the instructions involving the adults, deputies say the child did harm the baby. The two-month-old suffered serious injuries after being dropped on the kitchen floor, according to the sheriff’s office. The incident was reported by Gulf Coast Kids House, a children’s advocacy center.
Suspect charged with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse
Tara Sykes was arrested last week and charged with one count of attempted murder while engaged in aggravated child abuse. She is currently being held without bond in Escambia County Jail.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons expressed his shock, stating, “I have been in law enforcement for over 40 years and have never seen anything quite like this… There is something really wrong with her.”
Prior legal issues involving child neglect and threats
This isn’t Sykes’ first encounter with the law. In May, she and her husband were arrested after a Department of Children and Families investigator found their 14-year-old daughter to be 31 weeks pregnant and suffering from malnutrition. The couple was aware their daughter had been impregnated by a 20-year-old but failed to report the situation, instead allegedly threatening the perpetrator’s grandmother for $10,000.
Sykes faces additional charges of child neglect from this earlier case. Further charges related to the current investigation may also be filed, according to authorities.