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Woman accused of severely burning toddler's feet as punishment

RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. — A Tennessee woman is behind bars after police said she severely scalded a 2-year-old girl's feet while punishing the child.

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According to WTVC, Rhea County sheriff's deputies arrested Jennifer Vaughn, 53, on an aggravated child abuse charge Monday, more than a week after authorities responded Aug. 11 to a report of a toddler with burn wounds. Doctors referred to her injuries as "sock burns" because they resembled socks, Detective Rocky Potter told the news station.

Emergency responders ended up flying the toddler from a Tennessee hospital to a Georgia facility that specializes in burns, WRCB reported. She was burned so severely "that skin grafts may not take to the injured areas," according to the station.

Detectives later learned that Vaughn had burned the child's feet with scalding-hot water as punishment, WTVC reported.

Vaughn was jailed on $150,000 bond, authorities said.

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