A Florida sheriff has released disturbing details after the arrest of a local woman, saying it is one of the most troubling cases he’s seen in four decades of law enforcement.
Tara Alexis Sykes, a 36-year-old woman from Escambia County, was arrested Friday and charged with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse, according to WALA-TV.
Authorities said she used the online game Roblox to instruct a 10-year-old child on how to kill a 2-month-old infant.
The Gulf Coast Kids House first alerted law enforcement after the infant was dropped onto a tile floor.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said an investigation revealed the older child was being coached by Sykes on how to kill the infant, with the alleged suggestions including drowning the baby, scalding it with boiling water, or dropping it onto the floor.
The sheriff commented on the disturbing incident, underscoring the heinous nature of the crime.
“I have been in law enforcement for over 40 years and have never seen anything quite like this,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said.
“I am truly disturbed by the circumstances and the thought that anyone could think like this, let alone instruct these acts to be carried out. There is something really wrong with her.”
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The sheriff’s office said the investigation also uncovered Sykes’ instructions on how to kill the adults with whom the children were temporarily living. She allegedly told the child to cut the adults’ throats before setting their bed on fire with aerosol spray.
The sheets were found doused with the accelerant, but the child was apparently unable to ignite them.
Tara Alexis Sykes, 36, of #EscambiaCounty #Florida, has been arrested for attempted murder & aggravated child abuse after allegedly instructing a 10-year-old to harm a 2-month-old infant
Sykes communicated with the child through Roblox, providing instructions on how to kill the… pic.twitter.com/9McjocU8GB
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) October 22, 2024
While Sykes is considered innocent until proven guilty, the case highlights the danger young children face online — a risk for themselves and others.
Online games like Roblox, as well as easily-accessible social media platforms, largely throw children to the wolves when it comes to cunning online predators.
Those who prey on children through the internet often do so underneath parents’ and adults’ noses.
“When a child is using your computer,” the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned, “normal safeguards and security practices may not be sufficient. Children present additional challenges because of their natural characteristics: innocence, curiosity, desire for independence, and fear of punishment.”
Even adults are capable of being tricked online, and countless amounts of money are lost every year to scams, con artists and hackers.
The naivety and trusting nature of children makes them even riper targets on an largely-anonymous global network.
For anyone with a child, teaching and enforcing online precautions is no longer a matter of safety for the child alone, but for everyone in the household.
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