NEED TO KNOW
- A Pennsylvania couple have been arrested on accusations of abusing a 5-year-old boy in their care, police say
- According to police, the boy was “emaciated and covered in bruises”
- The alleged victim also claimed that he was forced to eat his own feces and would go for days without eating
A Pennsylvania couple is being accused of torturing a 5-year-old boy and forcing him to eat his own feces.
On Monday, Aug. 4, the Westmoreland County and District Attorney’s Office revealed in a press release that Charles Smitley, 29, and Colleen Cassidy, 29, of Monessen are facing multiple child abuse charges.
The child in question is reportedly the son of Smitley, while Cassidy is Smitley’s girlfriend, according to CBS News.
“A Monessen couple is facing charges after police said a young boy was left with relatives and appeared to be emaciated and covered in bruises,” the district attorney’s office release alleged.
The pair are being charged with endangering the welfare of children, unlawful restraint, as well as simple assault.
After an unnamed relative became the guardian of the child in April, the family member became concerned after noticing the boy looking “dirty, unhygienic and hungry.”
The loved one was reportedly the child’s grandfather and Smitley’s father, per CBS News.
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According to the relative, the child appeared to be in pain and his legs and buttocks were covered in bruises.
“The relative took the victim to a local emergency room for evaluation where he was admitted to a pediatric unit for further evaluation and treatment,” authorities continued. “Healthcare workers said the boy appeared to be emaciated and had not eaten for a period of time.”
Police were told by hospital staff that the boy’s injuries on his buttocks indicated that he had been “seated for an extended time.”
“The victim allegedly told workers that he was struck with a paddle and tied to a chair,” officials said. “During a forensic interview, the victim allegedly disclosed that he was spanked with a paddle by Cassidy and Smitley, forced to eat his own feces, and went days without eating.”
He added “that he had been tied down in a chair previously by his father’s girlfriend,” Monessen Police Lt. Aaron Thompson said, per CBS News.
The boy also told authorities that “he was forced to sleep on a bathroom floor in the basement without blankets or pillows.”
“Another child who resided with Smitley and Cassidy allegedly corroborated the victim’s claims of abuse to forensic interviewers but denied any abuse toward him,” the release continued.
The other child is said to be Cassidy’s 11-year-old son, according to CBS News.
He said he once found the 5-year-old “in a closet with his hands taped together with duct tape.”
The children have since been removed from the house and are both in good condition, according to CBS News.
Neighbor Katherine Secleter told the outlet that she never knew children were living with Smitley and Cassidy.
“My heart celebrates that bad people are off the street, but it aches for those kids,” she said.
“Smitley and Cassidy were arraigned and remanded to the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post bail,” the attorney’s office said.
Cassidy and Smitley remain on $100,000 and $250,000 bail, respectively, with their preliminary hearings set to take place on Aug. 22, per CBS News.
PEOPLE has reached out to the City of Monessen Police Department for an update on the case and to confirm the victim’s connection to the couple in custody.
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