Parents Charged With Using Shock Collar, Handcuffs To Discipline 15-Year-Old Son

A Michigan couple has been charged with child abuse for allegedly using shock collars and handcuffs to discipline their 15-year-old son.

Jimmy Dale Blackwell Jr., 52, and Jennifer Lee Blackwell, 53, of Lexington were arrested Tuesday on charges of felony intentional child abuse, inflicting serious injury, two arrest warrants said as per local news outlet The Roanoke Times.

Jennifer, the boy's mother, also faces additional misdemeanor charges for possession of a controlled substance.

The parents have been accused of disciplining their teenager by restraining him with handcuffs on his ankles, attaching them to a piece of furniture at night and making him sleep on the hard floor. They were also accused of using shock collars made for dogs to restrain their son, reported NBC-affiliated news outlet WXII.

The alleged abuse came to light on Feb. 15 when the Davidson County Police received a report about a case of child abuse that had taken place from May 25, 2020, to Oct 12, 2020.

The couple was charged on March 22, following an extensive investigation. Jennifer's additional misdemeanor charge is in connection with illegal possession of Xanax, a prescription medication used for anxiety and panic disorders.

The couple has been released on a $25,000 unsecured bond. They are scheduled to appear in court on May 3.

The teenager had a forensic interview and medical exam at the Dragonfly House Child Advocacy Center, officials said.

In a similar incident of child abuse, a couple has been arrested after their 9-year-old boy was allegedly beaten to death in South Carolina. The incident came to light in December 2020 when the unresponsive child was brought to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The police arrested Bobby Fulton Jr. and Tasha McFadden on charges of homicide by child abuse. Fulton was also accused of abusing McFadden's two other children. Medical examination revealed that one of them had old and new bite marks on the forehead and bruises on the body inflicted by a belt or cord.