A Georgia couple is currently facing charges after being accused of forcing their three-year-old son to live in a shed without access to basic amenities such as running water or electricity for nearly a month. The couple, 35-year-old Joseph Matthew Turner and 34-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Pombert, are being charged with second-degree cruelty to children.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office issued an arrest warrant for the couple, stating that the child was forced to live in a shed located behind their residence on Judge Avenue in Douglasville, a town approximately 20 miles west of Atlanta. The child was reportedly kept in these conditions for about three weeks.
The couple is alleged to have caused “cruel/excessive, mental/physical pain” to the child by confining him in a “dirty living space in a shed without running water or electricity.” The child was reportedly left unsupervised, unbathed, and unclothed due to the couple’s criminal negligence. The alleged neglect took place between May 1 and May 22.
The charges were filed against the couple on May 29, and they were subsequently arrested on June 2, according to court documents. The investigation into the couple’s alleged neglect was initiated when the shed where the child was living burned down over Memorial Day Weekend.
Matthew Govoni, a neighbor, informed local ABC affiliate WSB about a massive fire with explosions that destroyed the shed. The arrest warrant did not provide details about the fire or how the investigators discovered the alleged abuse. The child was not injured in the fire.
Govoni also shared that the couple had been living in the home for about a decade and were not considered good neighbors. He expressed no surprise at the allegations, citing the couple’s lifestyle. He expressed sympathy for the child, hoping that the boy could find help.
As per the latest reports, both Turner and Pombert are being held in the Douglas County Jail. It remains unclear whether they have legal representation.