FORREST CITY, Ark. — Two Forrest City women are in jail after a video posted to social media shows a one-year-old with their hands and feet bound.
“Friday evening, we were alerted to a video of a child that was in dire need of help,” St. Francis County Detective Seargent Cody Jackson said.
Jackson told NewsNation affiliate WREG that this case is still under investigation, but the post showing alleged child abuse was “disturbing.”
“I think it’s been on social media,” Jackson said. “It’s been going around and you see a child bound laying on the floor. That’s as far as I can go at the time being.”
Jasmine Cate, the mother of the child, and Bruana Holland have been charged with serious felony crimes and are in jail.
Both were given a $100,000 bond.
According to court documents, Cate and Holland admitted to their involvement and said that the video was supposed to be a joke.
However, law enforcement didn’t find what they saw in the video funny.
“Due to the extreme nature of the video, we wanted to act very quickly, which we did just to make sure the child was safe,” Jackson said.
The one-year-old and a three-year-old were taken to Le Bonheur with severe bruising. WREG has learned that the one-year-old is now with their grandmother.
DHS is aware of the situation and is actively investigating.
Both Cate and Holland are scheduled to appear in circuit court on October 14.