Dallas - Authorities in Texas have charged a Dallas woman with forcing her six-year-old daughter to repeatedly videotape her having group sex.
According to police records, the 24-year-old woman is charged with indecency with a child by exposure, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10 000 fine. The woman, who was arrested on Saturday, was in jail on Tuesday on a $50 000 bond.
The Associated Press does not generally identify those whom authorities believe to be the victims of sexually assault, and is not naming the woman because it might lead to the identification of her daughter.
The Dallas Morning News reported on Tuesday the police went to the woman's apartment acting on a tip. The mother has since told police her daughter used a cellphone to videotape three separate incidents involving six men, the newspaper reported.
A public defender listed in court documents as the woman's court-appointed attorney did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Marissa Gonzales, a spokeswoman for the state's Child Protective Services agency, said the six-year-old was immediately placed in foster care after her mother's arrest.
“Physically, she's fine,” Gonzales said. “But in any situation like this, where a child could need therapy, we will certainly work with (the child).”
The agency has launched its own investigation to determine whether the girl was the subject of abuse, she said.
A civil court hearing has been scheduled for August 16 to determine whether there are any family members who are appropriate to provide the child with care, Gonzales said.
Gonzales said CPS investigated the mother shortly after the child was born to determine whether the infant had been neglected. That case was closed with a finding that there was insufficient evidence to determine abuse or neglect, she said. - Sapa-AP