MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (TCN) — Authorities recently arrested a couple on suspicion of abusing and torturing children.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, on May 29, officials executed a search warrant at a home in the Norris Run area. They were investigating claims of abuse involving several children.
During the search, authorities found “confinement evidence,” such as crates, cages, and closets, as well as surveillance equipment like cameras, audio devices, and soundproofing, WDBJ-TV reports.
Investigators also reportedly found signs of “nutritional neglect.” The fridge was allegedly empty or locked, food had gone bad, and kitchen storage was secured with locks. The children purportedly said their parents kept the house hot and locked up food to stop them from taking some.
According to WDBJ, the boys shared a cot and a pile of pillows in their room. The girl’s room reportedly had water jugs and a padlock on the door.
In May, WDBJ reports that the Blacksburg Police Department alerted a social services worker about a 14-year-old girl in the home who went to school with a bruised and black eye. She reportedly told a teacher she was beaten for not cleaning a chicken coop properly. The girl alleged that her mother, 42-year-old Rachel Wakefield, slapped her, and her father, 48-year-old Terry Wakefield, struck her multiple times.
The girl reportedly told officials she was sometimes kept in solitary confinement. According to WDBJ, her brothers said they were put in “extended timeouts” that lasted anywhere from several minutes to even days.
The victims’ parents were reportedly uncooperative with the investigation, with Terry Wakefield allegedly yelling, playing loud music, and threatening to sue anyone involved.
WDBJ reports that investigators learned there had been previous contact with child protective services in other states, including North Carolina, where there were signs of domestic violence in the home.
The sheriff’s office arrested Rachel Wakefield and Terry Wakefield on charges of child torture, child abuse/neglect, and domestic assault. They remain held without bond.
Authorities noted that the three children are all safe and were placed in the foster care system.
