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Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Alexis Kahn: The Babysitter From Hell

     In 2012, after Benjamin and Hope Jordan moved to Charleston, South Carolina, they hired 21-year-old Alexis Kahn to regularly babysit their 7-month-old son Finn while they were away at work. Kahn had never been arrested, and came with references.

     Five months after bringing Alexis Kahn into their home to care for their most precious possession, the Jordans noticed that their dog, an otherwise friendly black lab, disliked the babysitter. According to Mr. Jordan, "He [the dog] was very aggressive towards her and a few times we actually had to physically restrain him from going towards her."

     Worried that the dog's behavior revealed something sinister about the babysitter, the Jordans hid an iPhone under the couch to record what went on between Kahn, the dog, and the baby in their absence. That evening after work, the couple checked the iPhone and were shocked by what they had recorded. The Jordans heard Kahn tell the baby to "shut up." Next came cussing followed by sounds of the baby being slapped. The baby's cries of distress became cries of pain. "I just wanted to...go back in time and just grab him up," said the father.

     The Jordans fired the babysitter and reported the suspected assault to the Charleston police. Officers arrested Kahn a few weeks later. Confronted with the iPhone evidence, the suspect confessed to assaulting the Jordan baby.

     On September 8, 2013, Alex Kahn pleaded guilty to one count of assault and battery in a Charleston County Circuit Court. The judge handed down a three-year sentence. The ex-babysitter had to spend a year behind bars before being eligible for parole. And her name was added to the state's child abuse register which meant she could never work with children. (Unfortunately, this did not prevent her from having children.)

     According to the baby's parents, Finn had no lingering effects from his abuse at the hands of the abusive babysitter.

     Suggestion: If your dog doesn't like your babysitter, keep the dog and look for a new sitter.  

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for continuing to share Finn's story. We only hope other parents will learn from our mistake. ALWAYS have a nanny cam, no matter who is caring for your child.

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    1. I am so sorry you went through that horror. And I'm glad you son is fine. It frightening to choose someone to care for our children. And I agree about the nanny cam. 100%
      My brother is a police officer in Ontario Canada. When their son was tiny they employed another police officer's wife for daycare. She had glowing references, was a personal friend of the family and a licensed day care provider. One day my brother took a pass by her house. There was his son sitting outside on the porch alone, in a high chair. He drove around the block again just to be sure she hadn't just ducked inside to grab something and was back outside. Nope. So he got out of his car, picked his son up and took him home. It took two hours for her to call her husband screaming that Aaron had been kidnapped! When he got to my brother's house and heard my brother's story, especially how long he'd been outside alone, he changed his tune. He called his wife and said, I'm on my way and We. Need. To. Talk.
      She lost her license and all of her clients.
      Jenn Lyons

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  2. Well, her career is over. I wouldn't hire her to take the garbage out. One look at her face should have been a clue. Always trust your dog. They can smell evil a mile away.

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  3. Make a contract so you can present yourself as a professional (you can find free templates here). Make a plan! My nanny said she was blown away when she saw my job posting because it was posted three months before I delivered my son. For the first six months after the job posting, I didn't require any regular care! She stated she loved that (if you're ready to have a baby and are only trying to locate a place to stay, don't worry, you're not alone!).

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  4. She has the looks of her inside

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