A Kentucky father has been charged with multiple counts of first-degree child abuse after police allege he repeatedly suffocated his 3-month-old daughter to stop her from crying, telling investigators the abuse was his way of "training" the infant "like a dog."
Background
Shaun Christopher Webb, 36, was taken into custody this week in Boone County following an investigation that began after detectives received video footage allegedly capturing the abuse. The recording came from a nanny camera installed in the family's living room in Walton, Kentucky.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, Boone County Sheriff's Office investigators responded Friday to a home on Glensprings Drive after receiving the footage dated Aug. 19. The video was timestamped between 9:51 and 9:58 a.m., showing Webb with his infant daughter and 2-year-old son.
The charging document details what investigators say they observed in the recording. About two minutes into the approximately seven-minute clip, Webb allegedly removed the crying infant from a couch and laid her on the floor "where he then open-hand slaps the infant, who continues to cry."
The Investigation
Seconds after the alleged slap, Webb grabbed the baby's face and the back of her head with both hands in what investigators described as a "vice-like grip," authorities say. According to the affidavit, the child's limbs "dangled" as Webb pressed his hands inward for approximately 19 seconds, causing the infant to become quiet while she flailed her arms and legs.
Webb then allegedly placed his right hand over the baby's nose and mouth, police said. She stopped crying but continued flailing her arms and legs for about 11 seconds before becoming silent, according to the detective's report. The affidavit states Webb repeated this process multiple times throughout the recording when the infant began crying again.
In a post-Miranda interview, Webb allegedly admitted "to what was observed in the video" and provided an explanation for his actions. According to the affidavit, Webb stated that children are "like a dog, you have to train them and set boundaries." He further admitted that when his children cry it "triggers me, like nails on a chalkboard."
Webb allegedly confessed to purposefully suffocating his daughter multiple times by covering her mouth and nose "not to cause harm, but to deprive her of oxygen," the charging document reads. Investigators say he viewed this punishment as "action to train the behavior."
When questioned about whether he had used similar methods on his son, Webb allegedly admitted that he had suffocated the 2-year-old approximately four times before the child was 9 months old.
Key Takeaways
- Shaun Christopher Webb, 36, has been charged with 10 felony counts of first-degree child abuse in Boone County District Court
- Nanny camera footage allegedly captured the abuse on Aug. 19 between 9:51 and 9:58 a.m. at a home in Walton, Kentucky
- Police say Webb allegedly suffocated his 3-month-old daughter by covering her nose and mouth with his hand multiple times
- Investigators allege Webb admitted to using similar methods on his son approximately four times before the boy turned 9 months old
- Webb is being held at the Boone County Jail on $500,000 bond
What's Next
Webb remains in custody at the Boone County Jail following an initial appearance. Court records did not immediately indicate when his next scheduled hearing would take place. The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors have not indicated whether additional charges may be filed as authorities continue reviewing evidence in the case.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has been notified of the allegations, standard protocol in child abuse investigations.