Four people are facing charges after the authorities caught wind of a video posted on social media showing them playing with a child, and asserted that the youngster could be in danger based on the perceived roughness of the interaction.
At the end of May, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was notified by a concerned citizen who said they had seen a video on Snapchat depicting two men roughly handling a child.
After opening an investigation regarding the situation, the authorities reported that they discovered the video was also posted on Facebook.
Deputies reported that they believed the men seen in the video with the child were Trentavious Morgan, 19, Jaquavious Bloodser, 20, and Tra’darius Singleton, 23, though their relation to the child has not been made public.
Police reported that the 6-year-old boy’s mother was identified as 28-year-old Rhonda Benford, and it has been asserted that while she was not seen physically roughing up the child, she did not do anything to intervene and cease the purported bullying. The police also believe that she should be penalized for leaving her son without proper supervision.
Since the investigators determined there was enough probable cause shown in the footage to support their assertion that Morgan, Bloodser, and Singleton were involved in rough-handing the boy, they moved forward with legally penalizing them for the allegations.
On June 11, Morgan, Bloodser, and Singleton were placed under arrest, and each of the men was charged with one count of misdemeanor simple battery, but that the possibility of additional charges being filed against the trio is being reviewed and considered.
Benford was taken into custody for her alleged involvement the same day, and she is facing charges for second-degree cruelty to children, and criminal negligence.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.