A Jefferson City woman has been charged with child abuse.
Jessica Reeves, 33, is believed to have struck, grabbed and shaken an infant in October 2016.
A witness contacted police this April saying she had a video recording of abuse to the child, who is 1 year old, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement.
The video showed Reeves, who had been hired to babysit the victim, doing the child's hair; and when the child kept moving her head, Reeves slapped the child in the head then placed her hands on top of the child's head and shook it.
The child screamed and cried, and two other videos taken on different dates show Reeves causing mental and physical distress to the child.
When interviewed by authorities, Reeves admitted to hitting the child, saying the girl was probably 6- or 7-months-old at the time.
Reeves also was questioned about how she cared for the child when she would cry. She said she held her hand over the child's mouth and blew air in her face, which she had seen other people do.
When asked about the use of a nasal device to remove mucus from the child's nose, Reeves said she had on one occasion placed the device down the child's throat to remove the mucus that way.
Reeves denied using her finger to encourage the child to eat, but a video recording shows Reeves sticking her finger in the child's mouth and spooning in baby food, after which the child gagged and coughed.