Unnamed Boy - 8 yo - / Accused: Helen Brown and Lee Ann Howard Marshfield MO

Women accused of making 8-year old wear diaper in Rogersville, MO

March 16, 2011

MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- The Webster County prosecuting attorney charged a couple from Rogersville on Wednesday with abusing an 8-year-old boy while they were punishing him.

An investigator believes Helen Brown, 38, and Lee Ann Howard, 42, made the boy go out in public while wearing a diaper, and deprived him of food and sleep until he finished a difficult homework assignment.

According to probable cause statements used as the basis of the charges, Howard and Brown live together and care for the boy. The Webster County Sheriff's Department investigation started late in February.

Det. Rick Hamilton says he learned about an incident last March in which Howard punished the boy by taking him to a karate class while he was wearing only a diaper that was held up by duct tape. The owner of Rogersville Karate School, Danny Miller, told Hamilton that the boy was always well behaved in his classes and at karate tournaments.

The boy was 7 years old at the time.

Miller's wife, Tracy Miller, who's an instructor at the karate school, told Hamilton that Howard "was trying to get the kids in the school to laugh" at the boy. Tracy Miller said the boy began crying, and Howard told her "she was going to take (the boy) all over Rogersville."

Last month, while Hamilton was investigating the case, he said he went to the couple's home and talked to the women. He said they admitted the diaper punishment last March.

He wrote that the boy was there and "appeared to be very thin." He was at the kitchen table and "said he was looking up words. (The boy) said he couldn't eat until he got his words done. I saw that there was a long list of words on the paper and the words seemed to be hard for a child (that) age. I saw that (the boy) had not done any of the words yet and it appeared it would have taken quite a while to finish."

Hamilton said it was 2:45 p.m. at the time and the boy said he hadn't eaten since having a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He wrote in the probable cause statement that Brown said the boy was so thin because he takes several medications. The detective said the boy "appeared to be very sleepy as his eyes were half shut and his actions were very slow."

The boy had a bruise on his shoulder. Hamilton said Brown told him "he got this when he was throwing a fit."Hamilton called the state child abuse hotline after visiting the home. The next day, he and state investigators returned to the home and took photos of the boy. Hamilton said he "appeared to be underweight. I also saw several bruises on (the boy), which I had not seen the day before."

On Thursday of this week, Hamilton returned to the couple's home. He found out the boy is in a hospital in Springfield after a witness said he had a mental breakdown about a week ago. Hamilton talked to a counselor at the hospital, who said she hadn't had any problems with the boy since he arrived.

Brown and Howard each face two counts of child abuse. If they're convicted, they could get prison sentences up to seven years for each count. A judge set their bonds at $50,000. If they post bond, they're not allowed to have contact with the boy or any person under 18 years old.