A Kentucky mother and father have been arrested after allegedly abusing their children for years, locking them in dog cages and burning their skin with cigarettes.
Kayla Smith again Brian Smith they were arrested in February and charged on March 30. They were booked into the Fayette County Detention Center on six counts of child abuse of a child 12 years of age or younger.
Both Kayla, 32, and Brian, 32, signed guilty pleas on May 27, according to WDKY.
Kayla was not offered an immediate plea deal, but records show “possible options” were discussed including “possibilities for leniency.” Meanwhile, no offers were made immediately to Brian after the deal, per the outlet.
Authorities learned of the case on January 30 when child welfare workers received a report of abuse at Smith’s. Two children who were placed in daycare said their parents punished them by putting them in a dog cage or locking them in a room for hours or days without food.
The children say that their parents burned them with burning cigarettes many times. Because of these allegations, an investigator from the Lexington Metropolitan Police Department spoke to the young victims and noticed that they had scars on their bodies that may have been due to burns.
The children also detailed the abuse, with one child saying he would sleep in a dog cage “to pass the time,” according to court documents viewed by WKYT. The boy also said that his parents would take him out of the pen to use the bathroom, although he would have to return to the cage as soon as he was done.
Throughout the investigation, authorities found that the abuse lasted about 2 and a half years.
A Michigan mother is accused of abandoning her two young children with special needs in her home where they were left to endure “filth, hunger and fear” for days, according to police. After a neighbor called 911 asking for a welfare check, Flint Township police arrived at Krystal Farmer’s home on Wednesday, February. […]
When the authorities had enough evidence about the parents, Kayla was arrested on February 3rd and Brian was arrested one day on February 4th.
The Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment on the status of the charges.
Kayla and Brian are scheduled to appear in court on August 28. Both parents are being held at the Fayette County Detention Center and are being held on $75,000 bond each.
If you or someone you know is being abused by children, call or text the Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
