A Sullivan County Judge on Monday refused to lower bond for a young mother accused of lying about her missing daughter’s whereabouts.

Sullivan County General Sessions Court Judge Klyne Lauderback denied a bid by attorney Brad Sproles to lower bond set for Megan Boswell, 18, on a charge of filing false reports.

Boswell was charged last week with lying about the whereabouts of her daughter, 15-month-old Evelyn Mae Boswell.

Authorities say the little girl hasn’t been seen since mid-December. Her grandfather — Megan Boswell’s dad, Tommy Boswell Sr. — reported the toddler missing Feb. 18.

Megan Boswell was brought into court wearing a black and gray striped jail jumpsuit. She repeatedly looked into the courtroom audience and smiled. She answered the judge’s questions, confirming she has no income right now and cannot afford to post her $25,000 bond.

Assistant District Attorney General Teresa Nelson said Megan Boswell has no stable home to return to if she posts bond and urged the judge to keep it set at $25,000.

Attorney Sproles waived a preliminary hearing, sending the case to a grand jury for review.

Megan Boswell's next court appearance is set May 8, provided the grand jury returns an indictment.

The Sullivan County Sheriff's Office says Megan Boswell told them Evelyn was in the care of the baby's father, but authorities discovered the father was on active duty in the military at the time and did not have Evelyn.

Since issuing the Amber Alert two weeks ago, police have received more than 800 tips. None of them produced credible sightings, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

Evelyn's mother, 18-year-old Megan "Maggie" Boswell, was arrested last week on a charge of making a false report.

Sullivan County Sheriff Jeff Cassidy said conflicting statements from Evelyn’s family, particularly from her mother, have made the investigation more difficult after it was already complicated by the delay in reporting the girl missing.

“Every time we talk to her, her story changes,” Cassidy said of Megan Boswell. “Every single time.”

A Sullivan County Sheriff's Office detective, along with a Tennessee Department of Children's Services case worker, were the first to make contact with Megan Boswell on Feb. 18 — the day before an Amber Alert was issued for the girl.

"Throughout the investigation, it was determined that Megan Boswell made the false statement to law enforcement in response to a legitimate inquiry by law enforcement concerning a material fact about an offense or with the intent to hinder law enforcement from locating Evelyn Boswell," the arrest warrant states.