‘Disturbing is the only word’: Viral video allegedly shows mother ‘screaming at and hitting’ months-old baby in crib

An Ohio mother is behind bars after a viral video on social media appeared to show her engaged in an extreme bout of child abuse, authorities in the Buckeye State say.

Haley Marie Ryan, 21, stands accused of one count of endangering children, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

The defendant was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, following a series of “several” complaints and “notifications” about the video in question, the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

The sheriff’s office described the viral social media content as a “disturbing video of a mother screaming at and hitting her child.”

Ryan was initially booked into jail with formal charges pending. Since the defendant’s arrest, at least one charge was filed against her. More charges could be in the offing.

“Disturbing is the only word that probably is appropriate,” Chief Deputy Matt Haines told Dayton-based CBS affiliate WHIO.

In the footage, a woman is seen bent over a crib. She loudly shrieks at the baby lying down inside. Moments later, the woman rears back with at least one of her arms and appears to slap or hit at something inside the crib — presumably her baby boy — over and over.

The video is hectic and blurry, and the frame rate does not offer a clear indication of all of the woman’s quick-paced movements. From the perspective of the footage, it is also unclear the extent to which the woman makes contact with the child — or if she does at all.

As the video ends, the woman storms away, and the person filming the scene appears to stand up from a seated or crouched position and then goes to check on the child in the crib. Law enforcement says the father’s child is behind the cellphone camera.

The video, in various ways, has been shared and viewed thousands of times on various social media websites like YouTube and TikTok.

Those shares quickly resulted in community outrage.

“It was one of those things that literally went viral for all the wrong reasons,” Haines told the TV station. “We started getting phone calls from as far away that I know of from at least Texas.”

The child in the footage is less than a year old, authorities say.

The incident allegedly occurred inside the baby’s father’s apartment in Harrison Township — a small municipality that is part of the broader Cincinnati metro area — a few days before the video was posted online, according to the sheriff’s office.

“It’s still a very active and open investigation. We’re trying to decide if anybody else should face charges,” Haines added. “And that would include if there is something that can be done when somebody either fails to intervene or fails to report.”

The child is safe and in the custody of Montgomery County Children’s Services, law enforcement said.

Ryan is being detained in the Montgomery County Jail on $25,00 bail. The defendant is slated to appear in court on Aug. 21.

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