Woman pushed a child outside naked and filmed it, deputies say

WALCOTT, Iowa (KWQC/Gray News) — An Iowa woman is facing multiple charges after deputies said she pushed a naked child outside and filmed it.

Court documents alleged that Melissa M. Ware, 43, has verbally and physically abused children continuously over the past few years.

Deputies said she forced a 12-year-old child to sleep outside in the cold, left an 8-year-old in a moving car while arguing with her husband, hit children with objects and continuously participated in name-calling.

In one instance, deputies said Ware pushed a 15-year-old outside without clothes on and filmed it.

Ware is facing multiple charges, including:

• Two counts of felony neglect or abandonment of a dependent person.
• Three counts of felony child endangerment and bodily injury.
• Two counts of felony sexual exploitation of a minor and promoting a film.
• Six counts of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.
• First-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Ware is in the Scott County Jail on a $250,000 cash-only bond. She has a preliminary hearing July 2.