A Minnesota couple who locked their children in cages for "their safety" has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Benjamin Cotton, 42, and Christina Cotton, 40, pleaded guilty to torturing their child after they were discovered keeping their kids in makeshift cages every night. When they spoke with cops, Benjamin and Christina insisted they locked their kids up for "safety" reasons.
As part of pleading guilty to child torture, the court dismissed the other charges against them. These charges included two counts of torture, seven counts of neglect, and seven counts of malicious punishment, according to KSTP.
How Was the Abuse Discovered?
Per the criminal complaint, officials at the Goodhue County Health and Human Services received a complaint about the four young children in the Cotton household, whose ages ranged between 2 and 9. The caller, who was not identified in the complaint, noted that Christina had been displaying "erratic behavior" and that the children were subjected to extreme forms of punishment, including being locked in cages, as reported by CBS News, which obtained a copy of the complaint.
An investigator and a social worker visited the Cotton household the next day, where Christina admitted to locking their children in cages for "safety." Investigators also went around the home, where they found a two-year-old who was locked inside an enclosed playpen. The child was notably wearing a soiled diaper that had been secured around his body with duct tape.
Next to the playpen was a small bunk bed with wooden planks and a sliding metal lock. Inside were a five-year-old and a seven-year-old, both of whom were unable to stand. The seven-year-old also had his hands taped behind his back.
Other Signs of Child Abuse
The last child, a nine-year-old, was found downstairs. Investigators said the child was not inside a cage. However, the nine-year-old displayed "excessive bruising." A further investigation revealed the three other children also had bruising on their bodies, per the Post Bulletin.
"The treating doctor opined that all of the bruising documented on the children was consistent with being forcibly stuck with an object such as a belt," cops wrote in the report.
