A South Carolina mother was seen on video pouring water on her sleeping infant's face as "payback" for waking her up at night — and once authorities saw the clip, they arrested the woman, WIS-TV reported. 

Caitlin Alyse Hardy, 33, was charged with cruelty to children last week after Sumter County Sheriff's deputies said she caused "ill-treatment, unnecessary pain and suffering, and/or deprivation of necessary sustenance upon a female minor child" on Jan. 26, the station said. 

Officials added to WIS that the mother posted a video of the act on Facebook and that the 9-month-old woke up coughing after water was poured on her a second time. 

'Payback'



Screenshots from the Facebook group "Where is baby Kate?"  show the original post that said "Payback for waking me up all kinda times of da night," the station reported, adding that concerned people contacted authorities about the images and video. 

The sheriff's office told WIS it notified county social services about the matter and that there were four children, including the victim, residing in the home at the time of the incident. 

"The charge against this defendant will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," Sheriff Anthony Dennis told the station. 

Hardy was released from jail on a $1,500 bond the same day she was arrested, WIS said.