An Arkansas couple is accused of keeping their 15-year-old son locked naked and unfed in a ratchet-strapped bathroom, in a case police say exposes a community's failure to protect him.
Daniel Allen Wright and Jaclyn Machell Barnett were arrested after officers discovered the teen confined in a bathroom in their Mountain Home apartment on Nov. 2, according to Ozarks First.
The couple faces 112 counts each of false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child, and permitting abuse. The investigation, led by Mountain Home Police Department Investigator Mike Day, revealed the disturbing details of alleged long-term abuse.
"When the public starts to get upset about this, it's justified, no doubt, but I think just as a whole, we all failed this kid. As a whole, we all failed him," Day said.
The case began when neighbors reported hearing a child calling for help from the apartment above. When officers arrived, only a 10-year-old and an 11-year-old were present to answer the door, Ozarks First revealed. The children denied hearing any sounds, which Day believes was likely due to coaching by Wright and Barnett.
"It's in my opinion, it's in the opinion of some others as well, that these kids are no doubt coached, no doubt. Whether it be fear for themselves or what have you," Day said.
The officers were directed to the master bedroom, Ozark First reported, where they found a ratchet strap attached to a bedpost and secured to the bathroom door. Behind the door, the teen was discovered, naked and reluctant to emerge due to his lack of clothing and his embarrassment. Day reported that the child appeared to have missed meals and was visibly hungry.
This horrifying arrangement, Day said, was a routine confinement for the boy, who was reportedly only let out to attend school. Despite multiple calls made previously to the Department of Human Services (DHS) by concerned neighbors, Wright and Barnett allegedly managed to cover up the abuse during DHS visits.
"If [DHS is] going out to the home, they're going out to the house where the parents are there and they can control that environment...to anyone on the outside looking in, they'd be like, 'oh, yeah, these are just kids being kids. He's just lying. He's continuously lying,'" Day explained.
The 112 counts of false imprisonment correspond to the number of days the teen attended school this year, as prosecutors allege he was confined each night upon returning home. Day hinted that additional charges could surface as the case develops further.
The two received a $50,000 bond. Wright was able to post bail, but as of the time this story was written, Barnett had not.
