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Charges Dismissed: Mom Allegedly Told Kid to Kill Baby on Roblox
29 Jan
Summary
- Charges dismissed after plea deal for child neglect.
- Mom allegedly instructed child on drowning, burning, and stabbing.
- Roblox messages about murder plot disputed by platform.
Tara Sykes, 37, faced severe charges including attempted murder and conspiracy after allegedly directing a 10-year-old child to harm a 2-month-old infant through messages on the gaming platform Roblox. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office reported that Sykes provided detailed instructions on how to kill the baby, including drowning, burning, and dropping the infant. She also allegedly instructed the child to kill adults in the household by cutting their throats or burning their home.
In a recent development on January 22, 2026, the murder-related charges against Sykes were dismissed. This followed her plea of no contest to a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm. As part of the plea deal, Sykes received a sentence of 11 months and 30 days in jail, with credit for time already served. Previously, Sykes had also faced charges in 2024 related to child neglect and extortion, with a court appearance scheduled for April 8, 2026.
Roblox has previously stated that its internal investigation did not find evidence supporting the alleged violent instructions in messages related to Sykes' arrest. The Escambia County Sheriff noted the extreme nature of the alleged crimes, stating he had never encountered anything similar in his extensive career.
