JEFFERSON COUNTY, PA - Two women have been arrested and charged for allegedly tormenting their adopted teenage son by duct-taping him to his bedroom floor, forcing him to stand up for long periods of time, and withholding food from him.
The alleged suspects have been identified as 37-year-old Sarah Faber and 51-year-old Amy Billotte. Both were charged after police were contacted by the Brookville School District over concerns surrounding a student's health on September 10, WTAJ reported.
Faber and Billotte face more than 950 counts each, per prosecutors and a docket sheet. There are more than 460 counts of unlawful restraint of a minor by a parent with risk of bodily injury and more than 460 counts of false imprisonment of a minor by a parent, according to Law & Crime.
School officials originally reported that the teen appeared malnourished and dehydrated. The teen told police that he lost over 20 pounds over the course of a year. There had been multiple instances and reports of Faber and Billotte allegedly withholding food from the victim, according to the criminal complaint that was reviewed by WTAJ.
The teen told police that he had lost so much weight because he didn't like to eat and that other kids were calling him fat. Officers asked the teen to explain his day-to-day routine, in which he said that in the morning, his adoptive moms wake him up and he eats breakfast, which is dry cereal.
Police asked if he ever went downstairs, to which the teen allegedly said no and that he does not like to go downstairs. For lunch, he told police that he usually eats either a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bologna sandwich with ketchup. When police asked if he left his room or used the bathroom while his adoptive moms were at work, he told police that if he had to use the bathroom, he would just hold it because he was not supposed to leave his room if his moms were not home.
He told police that his door allegedly had an alarm on it so Faber and Billotte would know if he left during the nighttime while they were in bed, according to the criminal complaint.
Police noted that the victim had explained before their involvement that a typical meal for him would consist of something such as two slices of pizza that the moms would put on a plate for him. However, after the investigation started, he was reportedly able to choose his own amount of pizza and would often eat up to four pieces.
The victim told police that Faber and Billotte would mainly communicate with him through the cameras placed in his bedroom. During the summer, he said that he was confined to his room all day without toys, books or electronic devices and that if he made too much movement, it would set off the camera and his adoptive moms would allegedly get upset.
He told police that as a form of punishment, the moms would allegedly strip him naked and force him to take a cold shower. Other punishments allegedly included making him live in the basement for a week while only wearing his underwear. The alleged suspects also strapped him down with duct-tape to the basement floor.
The suspects also allegedly sliced his genitals and cut his arm with a blade, which caused excessive bleeding, police said. "Luckily, I didn't die from that," he said. Faber and Billotte also reportedly threatened to "squirt cat insulin into his eyes."
Child protective services removed him from the home and took him to a hospital, where he regained the weight he lost within weeks. The boy explained to the police that when he was first placed in the alleged suspects' home, things were good. "I thought it was going to be fun," he said. "There were toys and books, and they would read me bedtime stories every night."
The situation took a turn for the worse when Faber and Billotte allegedly began to withhold sugar-based foods from the victim, saying they made him hyper. They then allegedly began to take food away from him and allegedly forced him to lie on the floor without a mattress.
Both women were arrested and are in the Jefferson County Prison on $500,000 bonds. Their next court date is scheduled for December 19.
The alleged suspects have been identified as 37-year-old Sarah Faber and 51-year-old Amy Billotte. Both were charged after police were contacted by the Brookville School District over concerns surrounding a student's health on September 10, WTAJ reported.
Faber and Billotte face more than 950 counts each, per prosecutors and a docket sheet. There are more than 460 counts of unlawful restraint of a minor by a parent with risk of bodily injury and more than 460 counts of false imprisonment of a minor by a parent, according to Law & Crime.
School officials originally reported that the teen appeared malnourished and dehydrated. The teen told police that he lost over 20 pounds over the course of a year. There had been multiple instances and reports of Faber and Billotte allegedly withholding food from the victim, according to the criminal complaint that was reviewed by WTAJ.
The teen told police that he had lost so much weight because he didn't like to eat and that other kids were calling him fat. Officers asked the teen to explain his day-to-day routine, in which he said that in the morning, his adoptive moms wake him up and he eats breakfast, which is dry cereal.
Police asked if he ever went downstairs, to which the teen allegedly said no and that he does not like to go downstairs. For lunch, he told police that he usually eats either a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bologna sandwich with ketchup. When police asked if he left his room or used the bathroom while his adoptive moms were at work, he told police that if he had to use the bathroom, he would just hold it because he was not supposed to leave his room if his moms were not home.
He told police that his door allegedly had an alarm on it so Faber and Billotte would know if he left during the nighttime while they were in bed, according to the criminal complaint.
Police noted that the victim had explained before their involvement that a typical meal for him would consist of something such as two slices of pizza that the moms would put on a plate for him. However, after the investigation started, he was reportedly able to choose his own amount of pizza and would often eat up to four pieces.
The victim told police that Faber and Billotte would mainly communicate with him through the cameras placed in his bedroom. During the summer, he said that he was confined to his room all day without toys, books or electronic devices and that if he made too much movement, it would set off the camera and his adoptive moms would allegedly get upset.
He told police that as a form of punishment, the moms would allegedly strip him naked and force him to take a cold shower. Other punishments allegedly included making him live in the basement for a week while only wearing his underwear. The alleged suspects also strapped him down with duct-tape to the basement floor.
The suspects also allegedly sliced his genitals and cut his arm with a blade, which caused excessive bleeding, police said. "Luckily, I didn't die from that," he said. Faber and Billotte also reportedly threatened to "squirt cat insulin into his eyes."
Child protective services removed him from the home and took him to a hospital, where he regained the weight he lost within weeks. The boy explained to the police that when he was first placed in the alleged suspects' home, things were good. "I thought it was going to be fun," he said. "There were toys and books, and they would read me bedtime stories every night."
The situation took a turn for the worse when Faber and Billotte allegedly began to withhold sugar-based foods from the victim, saying they made him hyper. They then allegedly began to take food away from him and allegedly forced him to lie on the floor without a mattress.
Both women were arrested and are in the Jefferson County Prison on $500,000 bonds. Their next court date is scheduled for December 19.
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