FOX19.com and FOX19 News, weather, traffic, and sports for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky | Babysitter Accused Of Burning Child In Scalding Water

Babysitter Accused Of Burning Child In Scalding Water

A babysitter in Bracken County, Kentucky has been charged with abusing a child placed in her care.

Police say that the woman put the boy in a tub with water so hot, it caused severe burns to his legs.

The incident happened back in June and three year old Kaden Benedict is still recovering from his burns and Kaden's family is still trying to figure out why someone they trusted and knew for years would want to hurt their son.

"There ain't nothing, words or pictures (that) could describe how awful it was," said James Benedict, Kaden's father, of the burns that his son suffered from scalding hot water.

Kaden was placed in the care of a family friend, Angela Smithers, who had babysat Kaden and his siblings for more than a year. But on June 5th, Smithers called and told Kaden's father that it seemed that he was suffering from sun poisoning.

"She said she had an accident," said Kaden's mother Mary Hargett. "She went to give him a bath and when she did she noticed blisters on his legs."

Mary said she knew after checking on Kaden that it wasn't sun poisoning.

"He was wrapped up in a towel and shivering and he wouldn't tell me nothing," Mary continued.  "He just wanted to cry."

Kaden's parents took him to Shriner's Hospital and the doctors there confirmed what the Benedicts already knew, that Kaden's second and third degree burns on the lower half of his body were from scalding hot water.

While in the hospital, Kaden finally told his family what happed to him on that day.

His family said that Kaden tried to plea with Smithers that the water was too hot but she apparently didn't stop.

At the end of September, a grand jury indicted Smithers on charges of Criminal Abuse in the first degree on a child under the age of 12.

Kaden's family says that there could never be an equal punishment for what their son has experienced,.

"There ain't nothing that they could ever do to her that would make up for what's happened to him," proclaims Mary. "All the pain and suffering he went through and all the sleepless nights and everything else."

If convicted of the charges, Smithers faces 20 years in jail.

Report: Corey McConnell

Web Producer: Cliff Jenkins