Christmas turns into heartbreaking abuse horror: Florida mom films herself beating toddler, covers face with blanket, then sends video to friend
Florida – A Florida woman is facing criminal charges after she recorded herself assaulting her young daughter and sent the video to a friend along with threatening threats against the child’s father. Authorities say that the distressing event happened on Christmas Day and featured the child being physically and verbally abused over and over again.
According to law enforcement records cited by Law and Crime, the 36-year-old Krysten Ann Happel has been charged with child abuse without great bodily harm. There is also a fugitive warrant out of Georgia for her. According to investigators, the matter came to light when a concerned friend called the police to ask them to check on the girl’s well-being.
The probable cause statement says that Happel sent a number of text messages and videos that day. Police say the messages were deeply troubling and focused largely on the child’s father, whom the defendant repeatedly insulted. Happel sent a long message in which she threatened to set the man on fire and said he was planning on killing him, using very clear language throughout the communication.
The videos associated with the messages showed Happel putting her daughter in risk by physically handling her. The police said that the mother from Fort Myers hit or pushed the child’s head many times. Investigators stressed that the girl seemed very young, pointing out that her skull and brain would be especially vulnerable to injury at that age.
In another part of the video, Happel threw a blanket over the girl’s entire face, which could have made it hard for her to breathe. As the recording went on, the mother allegedly insulted her daughter, calling her “ugly” and “demonized,” while continuing the physical contact.
The friend who got the texts informed the authorities that she had tried to help Happel before by offering her a place to live so that the mother and the child could stay together. According to the official papers, that help ended when Happel started getting help from the Salvation Army. The acquaintance, who was no longer actively involved in her life, was disturbed by the Christmas Day notes and called the police.
Later, police found Happel and the child at a Salvation Army center. There, the police detained the mother and brought the girl into their care. The report says that the child was found soaked in urine, which means she hadn’t had her diaper changed for extended period of time.
Investigators said that Happel confessed to what she did during a custody questioning. After being told her rights, she is said to have admitted to making the videos, sending the messages, and saying the things that are said in the charging documents.
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Happel remains in jail on a $7,500 bond. Court records show she is scheduled to appear before a judge on Jan. 26, 2026.
