KISSIMMEE, Fla. (WSVN) — A mother is facing a serious charge after, prosecutors said, she held a young boy underwater in retaliation for bullying her son in Kissimmee.
Surveillance video captured the moment when, authorities said, 36-year-old Tiffany Griffith dunked the 6-year-old in a swimming pool at Gaylord Palms Resort, Friday afternoon.
The defendant appeared before Osceola County District Court Judge John Beamer on Tuesday. She is facing a third-degree child abuse charge.
Griffith claimed she tried to protect her young son from other children in the pool. The mother said her son is on the autism spectrum and was being bullied.
But a responding an Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputy who took the stand saw the situation differently.
“[The defendant] placed both of her hands on his shoulders and submerged them in the water for a couple of seconds. [The boy] wasn’t – he wasn’t sure; he advised it was approximately two to four seconds, and then [she] let go of him, proceeded to splash water before exiting the pool.”
Beamer said the victim’s parents reported the incident and told authorities he was bleeding from his nose when he got out of the pool. Griffith was arrested shortly after.
The judge agreed with the state, saying Griffith’s actions were an overreaction.
“The bond for the defendant will be set in the amount of $20,000,” he said.
However, Beamer ultimately decided he does not believe Griffith is a threat to the community.
“A parent should certainly know not to put their hands on someone else’s child, and certainly, any former law enforcement should know not to put their hands on someone else’s child,” he said. “However, this is an isolated incident. It seems to be reactionary, an overreaction.”
Griffith bonded out of jail just before 11 p.m. on Tuesday. Under the terms of the bond, she is not allowed to speak to the victim or the victim’s family
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