A Memphis woman is behind bars after police say she subjected a young girl to a brutal beating while the child stood naked in a scalding hot shower — and she didn’t stop until the weapon she was using literally snapped in half.
Deandra Bynum, 35, was arrested and booked into Shelby County Sheriff’s Office’s Jail East facility on a $10,000 bond. She now faces serious charges of child abuse and neglect.
According to a police affidavit, Memphis Police Department officers responded to a home Thursday after receiving a report of abuse. When they arrived, they uncovered a deeply disturbing scene. Bynum had allegedly been striking a young female relative with a switch — a thin, flexible stick commonly used for corporal punishment — while the child stood unclothed under hot running water.
“The switch eventually broke, at which point Suspect Bynum stopped hitting her,” the affidavit stated.
But the nightmare wasn’t over for the little girl.
A second woman present, identified as Raven Porter, allegedly shoved the child to the ground, stood over her, and pressed her foot down on the child’s neck. Porter then cut off the girl’s ponytail.
As of Friday, Porter had not been taken into custody. Court records show she is currently on probation following a guilty plea in a separate abuse case.
This is not the first time authorities have crossed paths with Bynum. Officers noted prior contact — once involving a relative’s broken leg from a school fight and another involving a school threat incident.
Bynum is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
If you know a child in danger, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
