NEW ALBANY, Ind. (TCN) — A 28-year-old mother will spend over a decade behind bars after authorities saw her harming her baby on video.
The Floyd County Prosecutor’s Office announced Oct. 25 that Jessica Meade pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent. A judge sentenced her to 16 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections.
According to prosecutors, on Sept. 24, 2023, New Albany Police responded to a report of an unconscious 1-year-old. A corporal with the department spoke with emergency medical services personnel and learned the child and Meade were transported to a hospital. EMS reportedly informed authorities that the child “had aspirated, was pale, and barely breathing.”
According to the prosecutor’s office, an officer was told the child had digested shellfish and was possibly allergic. Meade allegedly put the child down for a nap, and the baby began vomiting and choking. However, authorities were given different stories of what had happened. Prosecutors said investigators obtained a video showing Meade “wrapping the child in layers of blankets and duct tape.”
Deputy Prosecutor Kristin Perdue said, “It is a terrible tragedy when a parent, who is the one person who is supposed to protect their child from the hardships of the world, is responsible for the abuse.”
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