A southwest Florida woman accused of branding her two children with a heated stick has been sentenced to three years of probation.
As part of a deal with Charlotte County prosecutors, 24-year-old Kayla R. Oxenham pleaded no contest last week to a felony count of child abuse. Adjudication was withheld, but the Port Charlotte woman must undergo a psychological evaluation and attend parenting classes.
Officials say Oxenham heated a stick with a lighter and burned her children, ages 5 and 7, in order to mark them as her own. The woman reportedly promised the children ice cream after the burning.
The Naples Daily News reports that allegations of abuse were first reported in March to the Florida Department of Children and Families. The case was then turned over to the sheriff's office, and Oxenham was arrested in June.
