In June 2023, Benjamin Taylor Cotton, 42, and Christina Ann Cotton faced a total of 16 charges, which included child torture, endangerment, neglect, and malicious punishment, as reported by ABC 5-KSTP. As part of a plea agreement, both individuals admitted their guilt to one count of child torture.
According to a report from ABC 5-KSTP, Christina Cotton became upset when she was informed about the report by an investigator and social worker who arrived at her home the following morning. She claimed that the children were “locked up for their safety.”
According to CBS News, the investigators made a distressing discovery when they found a child, almost 3 years old, trapped in a playpen that was covered by a dog gate to prevent the child from escaping. Additionally, they discovered that a bunk bed had been converted into a makeshift cage with a homemade wooden door. Inside the bottom bunk, they found two other children, aged 5 and 7.
The bunk bed cage contained a mattress, blankets, and a “puke bowl,” as reported by Honk News.
According to CBS, a 9-year-old child was discovered in a basement bedroom without any signs of being confined.
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