SC woman out on bond after video of her pouring water in sleeping 9-month-old baby’s face goes viral

SUMTER COUNTY, SC (WIS) - The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve arrested a woman and charged her with cruelty to children after several disturbing images and a video were seen on social media of the mother pouring bottled water on a sleeping baby’s face.

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office arrested Caitlin Alyse Hardy, 33, on Wednesday after an arrest warrant was issued on Jan. 29.

Deputies say that on Jan. 26 at a location on Camden Highway, Hardy caused "ill-treatment, unnecessary pain and suffering, and/or deprivation of necessary sustenance upon a female minor child" after she poured water on her child's face and posted a video of it on Facebook.

After being poured with water the second time, the infant woke up coughing. A number of concerned people contacted the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office regarding these images and video.

Screenshots of the post circulating on social media, via the Facebook group “Where is baby Kate?”, show the original post saying: “Payback for waking me up all kinda times of da night.”

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office says they've notified the Sumter County Department of Social Services in order that thorough investigations be conducted into this matter for the benefit and safety of all children in this home.

The sheriff’s office said there were four children, including the 9-month-old, residing in the home at the time of the incident.

“The charge against this defendant will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said.

Hardy was released from jail on Wednesday on a $1,500 bond.

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