VERA, Okla. (TCN) -- A 40-year-old man and his 42-year-old girlfriend were taken into custody after they allegedly tied the man’s daughter to a tree for three days.
According to Bartlesville Radio, on Sunday, July 28, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a home in Vera after receiving a call about a 15-year-old girl suffering from suspected child abuse. When deputies arrived, they reportedly found the teen attached to a tree in the yard. She reportedly was sleeping on a piece of carpet and later told investigators she had been tied to the tree multiple times over a three-day span.
Deputies arrested her father, Johnny James, and his girlfriend, Kayla Clark, on child abuse charges.
The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reports the girl was visiting James from Texas. James reportedly said his daughter has developmental issues, and he tied her up with ratchet straps as a form of punishment. He allegedly did not want her to urinate or defecate on herself in the home, so he left her outside.
Washington County Jail records show James is in custody for abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse of a child, while Clark was booked for enabling child neglect.
Some of the victim’s relatives reportedly told law enforcement they were afraid of James, which is why they did not report him earlier. Other children in the home were put into Department of Human Services Child Welfare custody.
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