Sean David Moody and Mikki Dee Moody were arrested in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Per Fox, the Tennessee couple was arrested on child abuse charges. Investigators discovered that the pair locked a 7-year-old autistic child in a storage trunk. They were formally charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect and child endangerment. Additionally, investigators had served the couple a search warrant for an unrelated case.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation first took Sean into custody "on a warrant charging him with abuse of a vulnerable adult." When the search warrant was executed, investigators found unsanitary living conditions at the residence.
Carter County Sheriff's Office investigator, Preston White, would add further clarification. "It was discovered while conducting the search of the residence that living conditions were unsanitary," White said in a statement. "Multiple electrical wall outlets contained exposed wiring, and animal and human feces was discovered on the floor coverings."
"Information obtained during the initial investigation led to the discovery of a brown-colored storage trunk in the living room area. The trunk contained urine-soaked blankets, a pillow, half-eaten pizza, and clothing that contained a substance consistent with blood," White concluded.
A Tennessee Couple Is Arrested On Child Abuse Charges
Investigators discovered that the child would be locked in the trunk with food. They contacted the Department of Children's Services afterward, and the child was taken away. Per Law & Crime, Sean's issues with the TBI revolved around the abuse of his sister, who had an undisclosed developmental disability. Investigators reportedly received an anonymous tip in early August.
"During the investigation, agents determined that the victim was being abused by her brother, Sean Moody, who also served as her caregiver."
Mikki Moody was released from custody after posting a $75,000 bond. Sean, however, remains in jail at the time of this writing.
In northern Texas, an autistic child was allegedly abused by a behavioral center. The parents of the non-verbal child accused staff of covering up and lying about an act of physical assault against their son. The subsequent lawsuit accuses the behavioral center of "vicarious liability; negligence; negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention; and gross negligence."
