SUN CITY CENTER, Fla. — Hillsborough County deputies on Tuesday arrested a woman who they say took a hot pot and pressed it against a child's arm "in an attempt to teach the child a lesson."
Jennifer Posey, 29, faces a charge of aggravated child abuse, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Authorities say Posey was in charge of watching a 10-year-old and two other children. After Posey made a pot of instant ramen on the stovetop, one of the children pretended to spill a bowl of hot ramen on another.
As a form of discipline, the sheriff's office said, Posey then took the pot and put it on the child's arm. They reportedly suffered a 4-inch burn.
"Children will be children, but an adult should know better than to use such great physical punishment to try to correct their bad behavior," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "This suspect's actions were intentional, unacceptable, and she will now face the consequences for inflicting unnecessary pain on a helpless child."