A lawyer representing Victoria Cranmer, a New Jersey woman accused of sexually assaulting a 2-year-old girl, argued in court that a video of the alleged incident was an "innocent moment" and not a crime. Cranmer is accused of assaulting the toddler on May 6 while she was babysitting the child at the girl's home.
During a hearing, Cranmer's attorney, Marissa Koerner, told Ocean County Judge Kenneth Palmer that the 14-second Snapchat video showed an "innocent moment." Koerner suggested that young children often lack an understanding of personal space and may engage in behavior that adults record as memorable or humorous. The defense attorney stated that the video had been "blown out of proportion."
Prosecutor Lynn Juan told the judge that the clip allegedly showed Cranmer laughing on a toilet while the child touched her. Judge Palmer, however, did not appear convinced by the defense's arguments, describing the situation as "bizarre" and "troubling" that Cranmer did not attempt to stop the child's actions. The judge ruled that Cranmer would be held without bail.
According to court documents, Cranmer was apprehended after a friend, at whose house she had been staying for three months, retrieved a phone she had bought for Cranmer. The friend discovered the video on Cranmer's Snapchat account. The friend was reportedly able to identify Cranmer in the video due to a distinctive tattoo of breasts and other ink on her legs.