A Florida woman has been arrested on child abuse charges after allegedly watching TikTok videos and pornography while her infant son died, according to Lakeland police.
Tatiana Norman, 22, was taken into custody late on June 29 after officers found her 6-month-old son, Jeremiah Peters, unresponsive in their Lakeland home. Police Chief Sammy Taylor Jr. stated during a press conference that the infant had suffered severe injuries earlier that day.
Jeremiah Peters died less than an hour after being transported to a local hospital. At the time of the initial police response, there were no clear external injuries on the infant, although a mark was present on his left thigh. Norman initially told authorities that the injury was from hot bathwater.
However, Norman's account of the events changed during subsequent interviews with investigators. She later suggested the injury might have occurred accidentally when she or her one-year-old child rolled onto Jeremiah while they were sleeping. Police noted that an autopsy revealed the mark on the infant's thigh was consistent with a more significant thermal event and that other injuries were more severe than a fall from a bed.
Confronted with the autopsy findings, Norman admitted that the baby had fallen multiple times throughout the day, including an incident where she threw him into a playpen. According to an arrest affidavit, Norman stated the baby fell around 9 a.m. after she dropped him while reaching for a remote control, hitting his head. Instead of seeking medical attention, she reportedly researched his injury symptoms online.
Later, Norman told police the infant fell face-first into the floor when a one-year-old climbed into his bassinet, causing it to tip. Around 1 p.m., Norman allegedly "intentionally 'tossed' or 'threw' Jeremiah into a playpen from a standing position" from several feet away, Taylor said. Police believe this last incident may have caused the most significant injury, as the child struck his back and head on the playpen's unpadded floor.
Following these alleged incidents, Norman reportedly searched online for questions such as, "Baby feels cold," "Baby has concussion," and "Baby has concussion is it emergency." She then reportedly spent hours watching TikTok videos. As Jeremiah's condition worsened, Norman also allegedly accessed pornographic websites more than 30 times before calling for help.
"I think the child was probably deceased hours before she called us," Taylor stated. He speculated that Norman may have been attempting to rationalize the situation.
Norman reportedly cited mental health issues, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and a history of PTSD and borderline personality disorder, as reasons for her actions. She allegedly told investigators she felt overstimulated, overwhelmed, and unsupported, which led to outbursts of rage and frustration directed at Jeremiah.
Norman has been charged with aggravated child abuse, a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Authorities indicated that the charges could be upgraded. It is unclear if Norman has retained legal counsel.