A 36-year-old woman in Florida has been arrested after reportedly reaching out to a 10-year-old child through a social media gaming platform, telling the child to harm a newborn baby and the adults in the child’s home.
Authorities announced that Tara Alexis Sykes was arrested last week and faces a charge of attempted murder in connection with aggravated child abuse.
On October 17, 2024, deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from the Gulf Coast Kid’s House, a child advocacy center, about a 2-month-old child who had sustained serious injuries after being dropped on the kitchen floor by a 10-year-old.
Authorities discovered that Sykes and the 10-year-old interacted through a well-known gaming platform known for its social features, enabling users to chat. Authorities report that Sykes utilized the platform to guide the 10-year-old on various methods of committing infanticide.
The sheriff’s office stated in the release, “Sykes provided the 10-year-old with different ways to harm the infant.” “Sykes directed the 10-year-old to submerge the infant in the bathtub, inflict burns with hot water, and drop the infant on the floor to cause death.” Sykes also taught the 10-year-old methods to harm the adults they were staying with, including using a knife while they slept and igniting the house with flammable materials.
Officials reported that the 10-year-old attempted to soak sheets with the aerosol spray, but the child was ultimately “unable to follow through with the directions.”
Sykes and her husband faced arrest earlier this year, each charged with one count of child neglect — endangerment for permitting the 20-year-old man who impregnated their 14-year-old daughter to reside in their family home, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The situation started on May 28, 2024, when deputies were called to the Sykes’ residence on Robertson Road by a Department of Children and Families investigator concerning a 14-year-old girl who was 31 weeks pregnant and seemed to be experiencing malnutrition.
A probable cause affidavit reveals that Sykes and her husband acknowledged being aware that their daughter was pregnant by a 20-year-old acquaintance, yet they did not report the known sexual battery involving their daughter. Authorities report that the parents reportedly threatened the 20-year-old’s life unless his grandmother paid them $10,000, which she allegedly did.
The cases involving Sykes are still active. She is now in custody at Escambia County Jail with no bond available.