A Minnesota man is facing charges of malicious punishment of a child after video of alleged mistreatment began to circulate among high school students. The unidentified man allegedly slapped a toddler in the face at the University of Minnesota's KinderCare on Huron Boulevard. The man was employed at the facility in 2023.
The suspect reportedly told police he'd seen the video, but denied it was him, per CBS News. But, he also said he was the only male employee at the day care facility at the time of the alleged incident.
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The man allegedly hit the child for no reason.
The investigation began after a video of the slap began to circulate among students at Park Center High School in May 2024, according to a police report obtained by CBS News. Brooklyn Park police became aware of the video that reportedly shows the man slapping a 3-year-old child in the face "without any other provocation."
The child was reportedly upset after the slap.
Per CBS News, after the child was slapped, he allegedly stepped back and told the man the slap hurt.
"The toddler's demeanor changed from happy and cheerful to confused and hurt when he was assaulted," the report notes.
The video reportedly belonged to the suspect.
During the investigation, police determined the video's source was the suspect's Instagram account. In June, investigators established it was shot at the KinderCare facility. The former director told police the man was employed at the facility between April and August 2023, CBS News reported.
Police showed the suspect the video.
After viewing the video with police, the man reportedly said he was not trying to be "malicious" and only used three fingers to slap the child. He did not have an explanation as to why the slap occurred.
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The suspect apparently didn't intend to share the video.
He told police the video was saved on his phone. He accidentally sent it in a group chat, and it was passed around from there.
The suspect's bail was set at $6,000. It is unclear whether he has obtained an attorney or made a plea.
