Inset: Jasmine Moss (Shelby County Sheriff's Office). Background: The house where Moss allegedly ran a hair removal business in Memphis, Tenn. (Google Maps).
A Tennessee mother is hoping a judge will spare her after allegedly allowing her 5-year-old daughter to wax dozens of women.
Jasmine Moss, 30, stands accused of one count each of child abuse and child neglect, according to the Memphis Police Department.
The incidents occurred in early 2024.
On Feb. 15, 2024, law enforcement received a series of complaints about a post on social media. Police claim a viral Instagram post showcasing Moss's waxing business included several photos of clients. In some photos, the defendant's daughter was depicted applying hot wax to the pubic area of a nude woman, police said, according to Memphis-based CBS affiliate WREG.
Moss allegedly operated her hair removal business out of a residence on Glenbrook Street, according to law enforcement.
Detectives alleged the defendant's daughter helped apply hot wax to over two dozen clients over more than eight hours at the house, police said, citing language from the since-deleted post, local NBC affiliate WMC-TV reported.
The post read, in relevant part:
She literally helped me wax 24 clients starting from 7:25-5pm. She made a total of $744 and I'm going to put the money toward whatever her future dreams and aspirations are.
During the initial furor over the post, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance told WREG they received 86 different complaints about the business owner, according to WREG.
The case has dragged on since Moss was first arrested. The allegations were sent to a grand jury in May 2024. Then, Moss was finally indicted on the counts against her in January 2025.
In the intervening time, the Volunteer State has opened ancillary investigations, according to a courtroom report by WREG.
"Hopefully, I can push them to drop this," Blake Ballin, Moss's defense attorney, reportedly said on Thursday. "It's an unusual case. It's a little complicated because there's a DCS investigation, and there are some licensing issues with Moss with the cosmetology board. So, we need some time to investigate that."
The defense attorney outlined the heart of Moss's case in earlier comments to WMC-TV: "Child abuse and neglect usually requires some sort of physical harm or physical injury, and it remains to be seen if they can prove something like that."
The defense believes the case should be dropped.
"Certainly, some questionable parenting, but does that amount to a crime?" Ballin asked out loud during the hearing this week. "Our position is that it does not. DCS investigated this, and the child is still in Ms. Moss's custody."
In light of that request, the judge overseeing the case decided to push things back. Addressing Moss directly, the judge said: "It appears your attorney and the state will see how this can be resolved, and they may need some time to see how this will ultimately play out."
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