Posted on Thu, Jun. 14, 2012

She was hired to care for a 7-month-old baby boy, but instead, Pembroke Pines police say, the nanny slapped the infant several times and tossed him face down onto a pillow.

Dawn Richards, 47, of Plantation, now faces child abuse charges.

According to the police report, Richards was hired to baby-sit while the baby’s parents enjoyed a night out on May 18.

But when they came home, the new parents were shocked by what their “Nanny Cam’’ had recorded:

A woman forcefully grabbing the baby by his legs, hitting him several times and throwing him face down onto a pillow. On the bed, another child slept, unharmed.

The video shows the abused infant crying, but no bruises were found on his body.

The police report states Richards had “been experiencing a lot of stress and financial hardship…[and] that because of her personal stressors and the fact that the victim was sick, fussy, and crying a lot, she utilized excessive and very ‘rough’ physical actions against him.”

Richards was arrested May 29, but police released the arrest affidavit June 14. She has been released on bond, according to attorney Glenn Roderman.

The parents of the abused child had hired Richards through a widely used online nanny service, called Care.com.

Meredith Robertson, spokeswoman for Care.com, issued a statement Thursday saying the agency encourages users to meet with care providers before hiring them.

“We have implemented a number of safety features, both human and technical, to help families find quality care providers, including tools such as background checks and our own additional security measures to help create a safe environment,” said Robertson.

The company will reach out to any other clients who may have employed Richards and alert them of her arrest, she added.