A 36-year-old Kentucky man has been arrested and charged with 10 felony counts of first-degree criminal abuse after authorities said a home security video captured him allegedly abusing his three-month-old daughter.
Shaun Webb of Walton, Boone County, was arrested on Friday, August 21, following an investigation by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The allegations stem from an incident at Webb’s home on August 19.
According to investigators, an out-of-state family member provided deputies with video footage after receiving it from Webb’s wife, the infant’s mother.
The footage allegedly shows Webb slapping the baby in the face with an open hand while she was lying on the living-room floor and crying.
Investigators also said the video captured Webb holding the infant by the back of her head while covering her face for about 19 seconds. The baby’s legs could reportedly be seen moving during the incident.
In other portions of the footage, Webb allegedly placed his hand over the child’s face several times, with each incident lasting between 10 and 13 seconds, according to investigators. His two-year-old son was reportedly present in the living room during the alleged abuse.
Authorities said Webb could be heard telling the infant to “stop crying” and that she was “going to learn.”
During an interview with detectives, Webb allegedly acknowledged using similar actions against his two-year-old son on four occasions before the boy reached nine months old.
Investigators said Webb told them that children were “like a dog” and had to be “trained” and have “boundaries.”
He reportedly said his daughter’s crying “triggers me, like nails on a chalkboard.” According to investigators, Webb said he covered the baby’s mouth and nose not to hurt her, but to deprive her of oxygen as an “action to train the behavior.”
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office said Webb was being held at the Boone County Jail. No bond had been set as of Friday, according to the sheriff’s office release.
The allegations have not been proven in court. Webb is presumed innocent unless and until he is found guilty.
The case remains under investigation by authorities in Boone County, Kentucky.
