Babysitter Seen On Video Attempting To Force-Feed 2-Year-Old Boy Arrested: Police

KEY POINTS

The boy's parents discovered the abuse when they tuned into their nanny cam to check on their 2-year-old son Tuesday
The babysitter appeared to hold the toddler down as she thrust food into his mouth
The woman was charged with child abuse

A woman was arrested in New Bern, North Carolina, after a 2-year-old boy’s parents discovered on their nanny cam that the woman appeared to be force-feeding their son.

Lauren Rowe was arrested Wednesday by New Bern police on a misdemeanor charge of child abuse, WITN reported.

The child's parents, Max and Laura Oglesby, told the outlet that they turned on their nanny cam to check on their son, Declan, during a break while they were at work in Washington, North Carolina, Tuesday evening.

In the video, which the Oglesbys shared on Facebook, Rowe could be seen putting and holding food into the 2-year-old boy’s mouth as he screamed for his parents and tried to get out of his high chair. At one point, the nanny is seen restraining the child’s right arm.

“We are learning today,” Rowe screamed at the youngster in the clip, according to the New York Post. “You need to learn that you need to eat your food, and then we can be all done.”

The footage also showed Rowe talking to someone on the phone, saying, “If we didn’t control our 2-year-old, he would walk all over us.”

Max said he and his wife immediately headed home and contacted Max’s mother to pick their son up and relieve the nanny. The parents said they found bruises on the toddler.

“We are heartbroken for our son and furious that this happened,” Max wrote on Facebook.

The couple turned over the video to New Bern police, which led to Rowe's arrest and charges.

Rowe has since been released after posting a $2,500 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 8.

On Facebook, Laura wrote that the couple was “emotionally drained by this whole experience.”

“Our main goal now is to make sure this sticks to her like glue so she can’t ever do this sort of thing to a child, dog or person in general ever again,” she added.

The couple explained in the post that they had to hire a babysitter for a few days per week as they renovated their Washington bar.

Rowe allegedly babysat their son for about two hours when the incident occurred.