A Cincinnati, Ohio woman is in jail after police stated she raped a 4-year-old boy and posted the video using the social media app Periscope. Police say India Kirksey, 20, recorded herself performing oral sex on the child in January and the video was seen by someone in Texas. That person contacted police and an investigation was launched.
Police and investigators from child and welfare services in Ohio tracked down Kirksey. While being questioned, she confessed to the sex act and posting the video. She was charged with first-degree felony rape. At a hearing this week, her bond was set at $350K; however, Kirksey did not enter a plea. Because of the age of the victim, many parts of the investigation have not been released to the media, including the relationship between Kirksey and the victim.
Family members of Kirksey are asking for mercy and compassion for the young woman. According to one relative who did not want to be identified, Kirksey is a person who has suffered from special needs since early childhood. The relative stated to media that she is on medication and receives therapy and the family does its best to act as caregivers. The family member went on to say that like many, your first thought is that anyone who hurts a child in any way must be a monster. However, in the case of India, this was “way out of character” and they are all wondering as a family: why did she do that?
It is unknown if India is one of the victims of the silent epidemic of autism and what is known as the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The Black community is hit hardest by the condition, in part because many parents are unaware of the warning signs. For people with developmental disabilities, major life activities such as language, mobility, learning, self-help, and independent living are much harder. Usually, these disabilities begin in the early years of a child’s development up to age 22 and then last throughout a person’s lifetime.
