Children rescued from ‘deplorable’ Ohio home where they were forced to sleep in bug-infested cages
Nine children were rescued from a ‘deplorable’ bug-infested home in which they were allegedly locked in cages, according to Ohio authorities.
The kids, aged one to 13, were saved from the house of horrors by the Licking County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday afternoon.
Law enforcement said they had been tipped off by the Licking County Child Protective Services over alleged physical abuse and poor living conditions.
The tip included allegations of ‘physical abuse’ that included ‘failure to provide food and water’ and ‘insufficient living space,’ per an arrest warrant obtained by the US Sun.
It also alleged the kids had been ‘forced to stand for hours with nails between their toes and locked behind cages or barriers,’ the reported warrant continued.
Officers allegedly found ‘deplorable living conditions’ and a bug infestation at the home off US Highway 40 in Etna Township, about 20 miles east of Columbus.
Jonathan Parr, 37, and Jacqueline Coleman, 32, were arrested and charged with child endangerment.
Coleman is the mother of the nine children and Parr is the father of seven, per court records cited by WKYC. The two are being held in the Licking County Justice Center.
Jonathan Parr, 37, was charged with child endangerment after nine children were rescued from a bug-infected home in which he lived in Etna Township, Ohio
Jacqueline Coleman, 32, was also taken into custody and charged with child endangerment. She is allegedly the nine kids’ mom, while Parr is the dad of seven
The nine kids have been removed from the home and placed in CPS custody after the rescue.
In total, 12 people, from ages 1 to 64, were living in the home, according to authorities.
The third adult discovered in the home was the kids’ grandmother. No charges have been filed against her, and she still lives at the home.
‘The living conditions were horrific [and] disgusting,’ Licking County Sheriff’s Department Captain Jay Cook said Wednesday at a press conference.
Parr and Coleman lived in the ‘not very big’ shed on the property with at least four of the kids, according to Cook.
Law enforcement executed the search warrant with Parr inside the shed, the US Sun reported.
Coleman had left with two of the kids but was later held by officers at a traffic stop.
The other children rescued were believed to be living inside a trailer.
The nine kids, their grandmother and the two arrested adults were living in a home off US Highway 40
Cook said that ‘maybe some of the kids were placed in cages,’ adding that a cage had been found that went roughly halfway up a doorway.
‘The way it was explained and what we saw was not necessarily a cage, like an actual big size dog cage, but there was like, a cage that kind of folds,’ Cook said.
He added that the cage was used to ‘cover the doorway’ for a room that was missing a door.
Still, Cook added that the children had allegedly revealed the abuse that would be inflicted on them.
‘Sometimes it was punishment,’ Cook said. ‘Sometimes it was, for no good reason at all, where they would have to stand with their back against the wall, like a wall–squat type situation.’
‘It was reported that they would sometimes stand there all day,’ he added.
The children also allegedly had to deal with nails on the floor that acted ‘like a marker to put their feet,’ according to Cook.
The kids were taken away from the home after being rescued on Tuesday and placed in CPS custody
The alleged abuse of the children began in April 2023, according to a felony complaint report cited by WCMH.
Parr said the allegations were ‘not true’ when he appeared in the Licking County Court of Common Pleas for his arraignment hearing on Wednesday.
‘I did not keep anyone in cages or any of the other charges,’ Parr said, per the outlet.
Parr was previously charged with operating a firearm while intoxicated in Wisconsin but that was dismissed in 2016, according to the US Sun.
However, he was later found guilty due to a no contest plea over endangering safety with a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, per the outlet.
Coleman allegedly knew about the abuse but allowed it to happen, according to deputies. She was also arraigned on Wednesday.
Both had their bond set at $150,000 and are next scheduled to appear in court on October 23 for a preliminary hearing.
Parr has been ordered to not contact Coleman or any of the alleged victims.
The discovery comes after 16 youths, ranging from 18 months to 18 years old, were rescued from a separate home in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Licking County Prosecutor’s Office for comment. It was not immediately clear if Parr and Coleman had retained legal representation.
