An Oklahoma woman is facing criminal charges for allegedly filming herself sexually abusing her boyfriend’s 3-year-old daughter.
Ashlee Cheatham, 19, was taken into custody on Aug. 22 after her boyfriend reported her to Stillwater police, according to a news release from the department.
The man said he had found “disturbing images and videos” of his daughter on Cheatham’s cellphone while Cheatham was asleep.
Police described the man as “very distraught.”
Body camera footage shows Cheatham being arrested at the home she shared with her boyfriend later that day.
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According to KOKH-TV, Cheatham faces charges of possession of child pornography, child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation, unlawful access to a computer, and unlawful possession of a controlled drug.
The police news release identified the drug as marijuana.
‼️CHARGED: The 19-year-old girlfriend accused of sexually assaulting and filming a 3-year-old little girl has been formally charged.
Ashlee Cheatham faces five felonies.
Her first preliminary hearing will be September 11th. @koconews pic.twitter.com/rtFiWcbFVC— KOCOKilee (@KOCOKileeThomas) August 31, 2023
KOCO-TV reported that Cheatham has admitted to the crimes, but she pleaded not guilty to the charges on Aug. 30.
She is being held in the Payne County Jail on a $75,000 bond and will be represented by a court-appointed lawyer.
According to another report from KOKH, Cheatham had listed a local elementary school as her place of employment on Facebook.
“Ashlee Cheatham was in the process of being hired by the district for the current school year (2023-24),” Superintendent David Reid said of the connection.
“All employees are required to do a federal background check as a part of the hiring process. Before that process was completed, a mutual decision to terminate the hiring process was made.
“Ms. Cheatham never worked for the district, never received a paycheck, and has never been with any of our students.”
The next court hearing in Cheatham’s case is scheduled for Monday.
