A Florida woman, aged 36, is currently in custody after allegedly using a social media gaming platform to instruct a 10-year-old child to commit murder. Tara Alexis Sykes is facing charges of attempted murder in connection with aggravated child abuse, as announced by law enforcement officials.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reported that they received a call on October 17, 2024, from the Gulf Coast Kid’s House, a child advocacy center. The call concerned a two-month-old infant who had sustained severe injuries after being dropped on the kitchen floor by a 10-year-old child.
Investigations revealed that Sykes had been communicating with the 10-year-old via Roblox, a popular gaming platform that also features a social media component allowing users to chat. Authorities allege that Sykes used this platform to guide the 10-year-old on various methods of infanticide.
According to the sheriff’s office, Sykes provided detailed instructions to the child on how to kill the infant. These included drowning the baby in the bathtub, scalding the baby with hot water, and dropping the baby on the floor. Furthermore, Sykes allegedly instructed the child on how to murder the adults the child was living with temporarily. The suggested methods included slitting their throats while they slept and setting their house on fire by spraying bed sheets with aerosol and igniting them.
The 10-year-old reportedly went as far as spraying the sheets with aerosol, but was ultimately unable to execute the instructions. Sheriff Chip W. Simmons expressed his shock at the case, stating that in his 40 years in law enforcement, he had never encountered anything quite like it.
Earlier this year, Sykes and her husband were arrested and charged with child neglect and endangerment. This was in connection with a case involving their 14-year-old daughter, who was impregnated by a 20-year-old man living in their home. Court records indicate that the parents knew about the sexual battery against their daughter but failed to report it. They also allegedly threatened to kill the 20-year-old unless his grandmother paid them $10,000, which she reportedly did.
Both cases against Sykes are still ongoing. She is currently being held without bond in the Escambia County Jail.