New Details Emerge In Duct-Taped Toddler Case
NETHER PROVIDENCE, Pa. (CBS) -- New details emerged Thursday following the revelation of a picture of a Delaware County child duct-taped to a chair.
Eyewitness News learned the toddler's mother is facing more charges.
According to Sgt. Michael Irey with the Nether Providence Township Police Department, police interviewed several friends of Caira Ferguson, including a woman who took the picture.
The friend told police, she walked in on Ferguson duct taping her 2-year-old daughter to a chair. Police say the friend asked Ferguson what was happening and Ferguson told her she thought it was funny.
The friend claims she doesn't know who, but someone later posted the picture on Facebook, prompting Ferguson to come up with a lie.
The 21-year-old mother was arrested Wednesday afternoon at her Chester Township home on unrelated outstanding warrants.
Police say their investigation began last week when Ferguson brought the picture to their attention, claiming someone pretending to be her posted the picture online.
The picture shows a child bound to a chair with her mouth, hands and feet duct taped. Police say a woman is also seen in the picture, sitting next to the child, smiling.
Police later determined, the woman in the picture is Ferguson and the child is her 2-year-old daughter.
According to court documents, the picture was taken last summer and a chair removed from Ferguson's home as evidence still had remnants of duct tape. Furthermore, the document says, Ferguson admitted to taping her child to a chair.
"No, I did not duct tape my child, no comment," Ferguson said as she was led away in handcuffs.
Even though Ferguson later denied such admission to reporters, police say they have an audio-taped interview to prove the confession. As for Ferguson's child seen in an exclusive Eyewitness News video covered with a blanket, police say she is now in the care of her godparents.
Police say they also looked into Ferguson's claims of identity theft but later determined they were unfounded and eventually got Ferguson to admit she lied.
As a result, Ferguson will now be charged for lying. Those additional charges come on the heels of False Imprisonment, Reckless Endangering and related offenses she's already fighting in connection with the case involving the picture.
Ferguson was denied bail, so she will remain in jail until her next court date later this month.
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Reported by Elizabeth Hur, CBS 3
