A Bronx babysitter has been charged with assault, child endangerment and other offenses after allegedly striking two young boys multiple times with a belt and a hanger in abuse that was caught on video, the district attorney said.
The Bronx district attorney’s office identified the woman as 24-year-old La’Keysha Jackson. She had been hired by the children’s mother after a referral from the city’s Administration for Children’s Services, or ACS, according to prosecutors. City officials said they are now reviewing their contract with the vendor for whom Jackson worked.
An in-home video monitor in May captured Jackson whipping the boys, ages 4 and 6, with a belt and striking the younger child with a pink plastic hanger on three separate occasions, according to the district attorney. The children’s screams and cries were also allegedly recorded.
“The defendant, hired as a babysitter, allegedly struck two young boys multiple times while they screamed in agony. She betrayed their mother’s trust and traumatized the children,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said in a statement Wednesday.
Jackson was arraigned Wednesday in Bronx Criminal Court and pleaded not guilty. She was charged with two counts of second-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon, a felony, along with multiple counts of attempted assault, child endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon.
A judge set bail at $75,000 cash or $150,000 bond. An attorney representing Jackson declined to comment. Her next court date is scheduled for Aug. 12.
A spokesperson for ACS said Jackson was not employed by the agency but worked for one of its contracted providers, who terminated her immediately after the allegations came to light. The agency is now conducting a comprehensive review of that provider’s personnel records and the spokesperson said they expected to update ACS guidance for all homemaking providers based on the outcome.
“The safety and well-being of New York City’s children is our top priority, and we condemn these despicable actions,” ACS spokesperson Stephanie Gendell said in an email. “Our ACS-contracted homemaking services are supportive, in-home services that provide parents with hands-on training on how to successfully manage daily household tasks like laundry, cleaning and meal preparation. We hold our providers to the highest standards. The provider’s employee was immediately terminated and we are actively conducting a full review of the contracted provider.”
Zachary Nosanchuk, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, added in a statement: "We are grateful to the NYPD for apprehending this individual, and we trust that justice will be carried out swiftly and to the fullest extent of the law."
This story has been updated with additional information.
