A mother from Tennessee is fighting charges of child neglect and abuse after she shared videos on social media showing her young daughter performing intimate waxing treatments on naked adult clients.
Viral Videos Spark Public Outrage
Jasmine Moss, a mother of three who ran a salon from her home, posted footage on Instagram in 2024 of her five-year-old daughter waxing the pubic areas of several women. In a caption, Moss allegedly wrote that her daughter had helped wax 24 clients in a single day, earning $744 which would be put towards the child's future dreams.
The disturbing content quickly circulated online, prompting a significant public backlash. The Memphis Police Department confirmed it received at least 80 complaints from concerned individuals who had seen the images. The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance also fielded 86 complaints about Moss's business practices.
Legal Defence: Parenting, Not Crime?
Moss's attorney, Blake Ballin, is now working to have the charges against his client dropped. He argued to local news outlet WREG that while the actions represented "certainly some questionable parenting," he questioned whether they amounted to a criminal offence.
"Our position is that it does not," Ballin stated. He emphasised that child abuse and neglect charges typically require evidence of physical harm or injury, suggesting the prosecution may struggle to prove this element. He also noted that following an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, the child remained in Moss's custody.
Case Complications and Court Proceedings
During a recent court appearance, Ballin described the case as "unusual" and "a little complicated," citing the DCS investigation and potential licensing issues Moss faces with the state cosmetology board. He requested more time to persuade prosecutors to drop the charges.
The judge agreed, ordering Moss to return to court on July 16. Ballin expressed hope that the prosecutor would recognise his client as someone who had made a mistake, remedied it, and no longer required involvement from the criminal justice system.
Meanwhile, online fury continues. Social media users condemned the mother's actions and the clients who participated. One comment on X read, "Who are the 24 women who exposed their privates to a little girl & allowed her to wax them? Prison for all 25 of you weirdos!" Another expressed concern for the child's long-term trauma.
