Florida: Woman Messaged 10-Year-Old On Roblox, Instructed Child To Kill Adults And Infant ‘Living In Same House’
Tara Alexis Sykes, 36 (Photo courtesy of Escambia County Sheriff's Office)
OAN Staff Brooke Mallory 12:38 PM – Tuesday, October 22, 2024
A 36-year-old Florida woman is now accused of attempting to commit murder by instructing a 10-year-old to drop an infant on the ground and slit the throat of a living adult, authorities said. He has been arrested. in the same house before setting it on fire.
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Authorities did not say whether the adults in question were the 10-year-old's adoptive parents or what their relationship was with the child. Police said only that the adults were “temporarily living with the child.”
Gulf Coast Kids HouseThe Children's Advocacy Center, a nonprofit that helps child abuse victims, contacted Escambia County detectives on Oct. 17.th About a 2-month-old infant who was seriously injured after being dropped on the kitchen floor by a 10-year-old child.
He was 10 years old and was active on a popular show. Game platform Roblox According to information uncovered during the investigation, he was communicating with a 36-year-old woman named Tara Sykes.
During the conversation, Sykes instructed the 10-year-old boy on various ways to kill the baby. She suggested either drowning the infant in a bathtub, scalding the infant with boiling water, or picking up the infant and dropping him on the ground.
Sykes also accused a 10-year-old boy of destroying his home by spraying an aerosol on his bed linen and setting it on fire, and of “cutting up” the adults the 10-year-old was temporarily living with. taught how to kill. While they were sleeping, their throats were cut with a sharp knife. ” Even though I poured water on the bedding, my 10-year-old son was unable to follow the rest of the instructions.
Authorities are working to solve the case, and additional charges may be filed against Sykes as the investigation continues. Additionally, police have not announced any charges against the 10-year-old boy.
However, it is important to note that there are many conflicting reports regarding the relationship between the 36-year-old woman and the 10-year-old boy. Some reports claim that Ms Sykes is actually the child's biological mother, while others claim she is a stranger and has never actually met the child. are. Police also did not say whether the 10-year-old was a boy or a girl. Some news outlets claim the 10-year-old is a boy, others claim it's a girl.
“I have been in law enforcement for over 40 years and have never seen anything like this happen. I have no right to believe that anyone could think like that, let alone direct this kind of behavior.” I'm really disturbed by the situation and the thought. There's something really wrong with her,” said Sheriff Chip W. Simmons.
The press release did not say whether Sykes pleaded guilty or hired an attorney to represent him.
Meanwhile, parents agreed with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office's post on Facebook and commented with their thoughts.
One user wrote: “Watch what your kids are doing. Games like this where you can communicate with others online have proven time and time again that they shouldn't be left unsupervised. ” he said.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453 or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. Our hotline is available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
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