Authorities arrived at a residence in Vera, Okla., on July 28 to discover a teen girl reportedly restrained to a tree and provided with a carpet square for rest, according to police.
A man and his girlfriend in Oklahoma have been taken into custody and are now facing charges of child abuse. According to the police, the man is accused of tying his 15-year-old daughter to a tree in their yard.
Authorities have apprehended a man named Johnny James and his girlfriend Kayla Clark on charges related to child abuse and neglect, as per jail records.
According to a press release obtained by PEOPLE from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were alerted to a distressing incident involving a teenager who was reportedly bound to a tree with ratchet straps on a property in Vera for a period of three days. According to a press release, an investigation revealed that the family from Texas was visiting relatives in the area.
According to the release, the girl was discovered by the police sitting on a rectangular piece of carpet that had been provided to her for sleeping. According to a report, it has been found that a young girl was reportedly bound to a tree using a ratchet strap for a period of more than 24 hours by her father, James.
According to the press release, James reportedly informed the police that he had tied the girl to the tree as a form of punishment. According to reports, James reportedly made a statement to the police regarding the child’s difficulties with urinating and defecating indoors, suggesting that if she were outside, there wouldn’t be any mess.
According to authorities, the girlfriend, 42, admitted that she was aware of the girl being tied to the tree. However, she claimed to be “frazzled” at the time and did not report James’ actions.
According to the release, James reportedly disciplined his daughter after she expressed a desire to live with her mother.
James and Clark are currently in custody in Washington County, with a bail set at $500,000. They are scheduled to appear in court on August 9th. The status of the suspects’ pleas and legal representation remains uncertain.
A teenager was transported to a nearby hospital to receive medical care for her injuries. According to the release seen by PEOPLE, the Department of Human Services (DHS) will assume custody of her and the other children discovered in the residence.