A review of a terrible case of child abuse from 2010 in O'Fallon, Missouri, has led to felony charges.
The story dates back to an anonymous tip of child abuse in 2010. When police arrived at the home named in the tip, they found a six-year-old boy with autism locked in a cage in the basement. The boy was naked and sitting in urine and feces. Police also found five other children living in the home. All the children were taken into protective custody, but later returned to the home.
St. Charles County prosecutor Tim Lohmar assumed office at the beginning of the year and made child safety a top priority. When he reviewed this case, he determined that although the parents may have felt overwhelmed, it was no excuse for the dangerous neglect they subjected their son to. The parents, Victoria and Terry Smith now face charges of child endangerment, but they are not in custody.
