EXCLUSIVE: Bay Area parents speak out after 2-day-old baby seen on camera allegedly abused by babysitter

SAN FRANCISCO– A shocking case of alleged child abuse is rocking not just the Bay Area, but the entire country. A babysitter, caught on camera, hitting and even throwing a baby who had just come home from the hospital. Now the baby’s parents are speaking out so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.

“We all thought we could trust her. Never thought something like this could happen,” the father, identified as “T,” said on surveillance video.

A warning: some viewers may find the video disturbing

The video shows baby monitor footage from a Hillsborough couple’s home. The parents, who asked to be identified only by the initials ‘D’ and ‘T’, had brought their daughter ‘H’ home from the hospital at the end of September.

On the second day they hired a babysitter to help. Weeks later, they say they discovered something horrific.

“It is absolutely devastating for any parent and family to have to go through this,” the father said.

The alleged abuse was so explicit that it could not be shown on television. Videos show the babysitter hitting the baby several nights, shaking her aggressively and at one point throwing her across the room. You can hear the child wailing in distress.

“Just a few days of this kind of abuse can have lifelong consequences for a baby,” says Baby H’s father.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said his office is working closely with the Hillsborough Police Department on the case.

“What really struck me when I read the case was the age of the victim. That’s what’s so unusual for us,” Wagstaffe said.

“If we can convict them, to me, prison is the only solution for someone who would do something like that repeatedly — not just once out of anger or loss of control, but repeatedly,” Wagstaffe said. “If the evidence supports this, this person could easily go to prison for double digits for years.”

KGO-TV is not naming the former nanny or showing her face because no charges have been filed against her.

She was hired by “D” and “T” through a social media referral.

“From the phone conversation we had with her, it sounded very legitimate, and she seemed like a good babysitter,” the father said.

“Of course we interviewed the nanny too,” he added.

The parents say they noticed aggressive actions weeks after she was employed. After they fired her, they reviewed the baby monitor footage, which they said showed the abuse.

Dr. Charles Lorbeer, an expert witness in child abuse cases, says checking baby monitor footage regularly can be crucial.

“Some of these cameras will erase themselves in three days, so there’s a little window built in,” he said. “It can be as fast as two minutes to fast forward. Especially in the first half hour to an hour, you have to be very conscious of keeping up with that, especially with someone you don’t know.”

“Of course we as parents feel guilty,” said the father.

After posting a video of the footage on social media, the family received overwhelming support. An online petition calling for accountability has collected more than 33,000 signatures.

While Baby H has undergone an MRI and a full-body X-ray, her parents continue to monitor her for signs of long-term damage. No matter how difficult it is, mom and dad speak out for a reason.

“My goal is to warn parents about this babysitter. I don’t want any family, baby or mother to experience this again,” said the child’s mother.

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office plans to file charges in the coming weeks.