A North Carolina babysitter, Amesha Johnson, 40, has been apprehended by authorities after allegedly subjecting a one-year-old boy to a scalding bath, resulting in severe burns that necessitated skin grafts on his legs. Johnson was arrested on Thursday and faces a felony child abuse charge in relation to the incident.
The High Point Police Department reported that on March 1, 2025, they were called to a local children’s hospital to investigate a potential child abuse case. Upon arrival, they discovered a toddler with severe burns on his hands and feet.
The investigation led the High Point Police Department’s Special Victims Unit to Johnson, who was identified as the babysitter in charge at the time the child sustained the injuries. Following her arrest, Johnson was transported to the Guilford County Jail.
The child’s mother, in an interview with High Point Fox affiliate WGHP, shared the distressing details of the incident and the long recovery journey her son faces. She described the extent of the burns, stating that from the calves down, there was no skin, only raw, red flesh.
The mother recalled the horrifying moment she arrived at the babysitter’s house to find her son in a state of shock, no longer crying. She immediately dialed 911, and emergency medical services rushed the child to the hospital, where he was admitted to the burn unit.
Upon arriving at the hospital, the mother was met by police officers who were already in her son’s room, initiating an investigation into the cause of the injuries. This investigation eventually led to Johnson’s arrest.
The mother revealed that her son underwent his first skin graft surgery on March 7, 2025. The procedure involved taking skin from the child’s thighs and grafting it onto his feet. The burns on the child’s hands were second-degree and did not necessitate surgery. The mother added that they are currently managing wound care at home and attending burn care therapy twice a week.
Johnson remains in custody with a secured bond set at $25,000.