Babysitters can provide an enormous amount of relief for parents. Most people have great experiences with hiring babysitters, but on some occasions, a sitter is not always who they say they are. Even if parents call the sitter’s references or do a background check, there’s still sometimes a risk that the sitter isn’t exactly who they say they are.
Unfortunately, two parents experienced this terrible situation when they hired a 22-year-old babysitter named Alexis Khan to watch their seven-month-old son, Finn. The parents, Benjamin and Hope, had recently moved to South Carolina and did all the necessary safety precautions before hiring Khan. They conducted a background check and didn’t find anything questionable on her record.
The parents said that they hired Khan to watch Finn for about five months. Over time, their dog Killian grew more and more protective of Finn and aggressive toward Khan. When Khan would arrive and walk in the door, Killian would act as if he was trying to protect Finn from her.
Benjamin and Hope noticed this suspicious behavior, and their instincts told them that something may not be right with the situation. One day, when they both went to work and Khan came over to watch Finn, they hid an iPhone under their couch. They opened a voice memo so the phone would record the entire day. They also placed a baby monitor near it, which allowed the phone to pick up noise when Khan and Finn entered different rooms.
When the parents listened to the recording, they were horrified to hear swearing, crying, slapping, and yelling. For months, Khan had been abusing Finn, which explained Killian’s unusual behavior. The parents pressed charges against Khan, who was placed on a child abuse registry and sentenced to three years in prison.
Without Killian, Benjamin and Hope may have never noticed Khan’s abusive behavior. Both parents said they are so grateful that their dog saved Finn. Now, Finn is in training to become a psychiatric service dog. He is calm and loving, but he is protective over his family when he believes they are in danger.
The parents advised all other parents to listen to their instincts when it comes to babysitters or any other people their children interact with, especially if their pets seem to be wary of the individual. They also advised parents to get a webcam or a nanny cam when they hire babysitters as it’s always better to be safe than sorry.