Screen shot from YouTube video. The infant and youth's faces have been intentionally blurred. (The Associated Press)
The clip shows the youth placing an eight-month-old baby on one side of a large, inflatable pillow on the floor. The 16-year-old then jumps on the pillow, propelling the baby over six feet across the room, before the infant hits the floor on its face and bursts into tears.
The parents of the infant took the baby to the hospital; the condition of the child is unclear. The Sheriff’s Department alerted the Division of Family and Children Services.
One of the youth's former teachers saw the video on Sunday and alerted authorities, according to Lee County Sheriff Harold Breeden.
Colonel Dwayne Sapb of the Lee County Sheriff’s Department says the youth has been charged with a felony and a misdemeanor charge:
“We immediately launched a full-scale investigation, and ultimately wound up arresting the offender yesterday. He’s charged with one count of cruelty to children in the first degree, and one count of cruelty of children in the third degree.”The youth is being held at the Crisp County Youth Detention Center in Cordele. The second youth who uploaded the video was not detained.
YouTube has since pulled the video.
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