A two-year-old girl from Oklahoma, who has been reported missing, was allegedly subjected to horrific abuse by her parents, who are accused of assaulting her with a BB gun, beating her with a paddle inscribed with the words “The Last Resort,” and ultimately selling her to a drug dealer, according to local news sources. The parents, Ashley Ceejay Rowland, 39, and Joshua Denton, 40, were taken into custody on August 5 in relation to the abuse of their daughter, London Kerr. The last known sighting of the child was in the company of her mother’s methamphetamine dealer in 2022.
Rowland admitted to law enforcement that she had handed over her daughter to a man known only as “Carlos” in exchange for drugs. The man reportedly stated his intention to travel to Mexico with the child. Prior to relinquishing custody of London, Rowland and Denton are said to have inflicted severe physical punishment on the toddler.
Teenage children of Rowland reported that their mother and her boyfriend would shoot the toddler with BB guns, hit her with a wooden paddle, and confine her in a closet, according to a criminal affidavit. A search of the couple’s residence led to the discovery of a wooden paddle bearing the phrase “The Last Resort.”
Denton’s teenage daughters also alleged that their father had forced London to eat a hot pepper and had poured hot sauce into her eyes on multiple occasions. One of Denton’s daughters disclosed to investigators that she had been sexually abused by him in the past.
Authorities have renewed their efforts to locate London, who would be turning six in September. Oklahoma City police Sgt. Dillon Quirk expressed the urgency of the situation, stating that they were still hopeful for a positive outcome, despite the limited leads available.
Rowland informed the police that when she handed London over to the drug dealer, the child did not have any identifying documents. The child’s disappearance was first noticed during a failed Department of Human Services pickup order in April 2023.
Denton is facing nine felony charges, including six counts of child abuse, one count of forcible sodomy, and one count of lewd or indecent acts to a child. Rowland has been charged with one count of enabling child abuse and has previous charges of child abandonment filed in Oklahoma County District Court last year.