A couple in Indiana has been hit with felony neglect charges after they allegedly locked up their 8-month-old daughter when they slept.
Benjamin Joseph Tackett and Kayla Therese Thompson were taken into custody on felony neglect charges, which includes neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury.
Detectives with the Jennings County Sheriff Office discovered amid the investigation that the couple’s infant daughter was “suffering from severe malnourishment, hygiene related neglect, severe dermatitis and developmental delays,” according to a sheriff’s press release.
Additionally, the press release said the young child “weighed approximately 9 lbs.”
Detectives spoke to several doctors and the Department of Child Services caseworkers, as well as conducted multiple interviews with the other children who lived in the home. Authorities then eventually questioned Tackett, 25, and Thompson, 25, about their alleged neglect.
The sheriff’s office also claimed that both Tackett and Thompson admitted to “knowingly” neglecting their daughter.
“Benjamin and Kayla advised detectives during interviews that they were tired after work, and at times locked the child in a separate bedroom for approximately 10 hours at a time so they could sleep,” the release stated.
The investigation into Tackett and Thpmpson was first launched when the Indiana Department of Child Service reached out to the sheriff’s office about concerns with the couple.
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The pair were taken into custody on November 5, while other children that resided in the North Vernon home were removed by the Department of Child Services and were placed with “appropriate caregivers.” However, it’s not currently clear how many other children were living in the home and if they also experienced neglect from the couple.
A hearing into the case is scheduled to take place on November 13.
Neither Tackett nor Thompson have previously been charged with a crime in Indiana before the recent arrest, according to court records viewed by LawandCrime.com.
