MUNCIE, Ind. — Police in Muncie say they were called to a home on High Street earlier this month for what officers say was a "concerning" case of child abuse.
When the officer arrived, the police report says he was met by two females in the parking lot across the street.
That's where the officer said one female showed him a video of a 17-year-old repeatedly holding a lit lighter to her daughter's hand as another girl sprayed perfume to accelerate the flame.
"Sadly, these days, we see more and more parents who record themselves abusing their children. I wish I could tell you it's shocking, but it just isn't. It's simply a way to memorialize the conduct forever," said Kristina Korobov, who is the senior lawyer for the Zero Abuse Project.
The police report also states the 17-year-old would lock the little girl in her room by herself while she would leave the house to have sex.
Prosecutors determined the 17-year-old will be charged as an adult.
In another disturbing accusation, the teen is alleged to have placed a pillow over her daughter's face while she had sex in the same bed.
"There's a crime called vicarious sexual gratification, and that involves engaging in sexual conduct in the presence of a child. So that is a considered a criminal offense, and if the prosecution finds sufficient proof of that, they could file an allegation along those lines," Korobov said.
The report also states the teen said she was lighting her daughter's hand on fire as a joke. But the prosecution doesn't see it that way and wants her tried as an adult.
"If the case is handled in juvenile court, these charges could also be expunged, meaning that years later, no one would ever know whatever happened to the child or what this individual had done, so it would allow this individual to apply for employment or to be a foster parent, and you might never know what had happened in the past," Korobov said.
As for when we could find out if the teen will be charged as an adult, that hearing is in June.
While 13News tried speaking to Muncie Police, officers never returned our calls.
According to the police report, the little girl was sent to live with a distant relative.