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Deputies: Largo 17-year-old who put lit marijuana cigarette in baby's mouth charged with child abuse

The teen was reportedly babysitting her 16-year-old friend's baby when the alleged abuse happened.
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FILE PHOTO

LARGO, Fla. — A 17-year-old is charged with child abuse after she recorded a video of herself putting a lit marijuana cigarette in a 1-year-old's mouth, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. 

The alleged abuse happened Thursday at a home in unincorporated Largo. The 17-year-old, who 10 Tampa Bay is not naming due to her age, was reportedly babysitting her 16-year-old friend's baby daughter. 

The mother left and the teen was left alone with the baby. While alone with the baby girl, the teen allegedly took a video of herself that shows her putting a lit marijuana cigarette in the baby's mouth. The video goes on to show the baby inhaling while the cigarette is in her mouth, making the embers start to glow brighter, according to detectives. 

The teen then reportedly takes the smokable marijuana out of the baby's mouth, puts it in her own mouth and inhales the lit cigarette. 

Sheriff's deputies said when they initially met with the teen, she admitted to smoking marijuana near the baby but denied putting the cigarette in the baby's mouth. 

After detectives found the video and confronted the teen again, she then reportedly admitted to placing the lit cigarette in the baby's mouth while she was babysitting. 

Detectives said the 17-year-old offered no explanation as to why she put smokable marijuana into the baby's mouth. She was then arrested and charged with felony child abuse. The teen was then taken to the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center. 

The sheriff's office said its investigation into the alleged abuse is ongoing. 

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