Nine children have been removed from what Ohio authorities described as a “deplorable” and bug-infested home, where investigators say some of the youngsters may have been confined behind cages or barriers.
The children, ranging in age from 1 to 13, were rescued Tuesday afternoon by deputies with the Licking County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities began investigating after receiving information from Licking County Child Protective Services about alleged physical abuse and unsafe conditions inside the property.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by the US Sun, the allegations included failing to provide adequate food and water, as well as forcing the children to live in severely limited space.
The warrant also claimed the children were made to stand for extended periods with nails placed between their toes and were confined behind cages or other barriers.
Deputies reportedly discovered what they called “deplorable living conditions,” along with a serious insect infestation, at the residence near US Highway 40 in Etna Township, roughly 20 miles east of Columbus.
Jonathan Parr, 37, and Jacqueline Coleman, 32, were taken into custody and charged with child endangerment.
Court records cited by WKYC identify Coleman as the mother of all nine children and Parr as the father of seven. Both were being held at the Licking County Justice Center.
Jonathan Parr, 37, faces a child-endangerment charge after nine children were rescued from a bug-infested property in Etna Township, Ohio
Jacqueline Coleman, 32, was also arrested on a child-endangerment charge. Authorities allege she is the mother of all nine children, while Parr is the father of seven
Following the rescue, all nine children were removed from the property and placed in the custody of CPS. Authorities said 12 people, ranging in age from 1 to 64, had been living at the residence.
The third adult in the home was identified as the children’s grandmother. She has not been charged and remains at the property.
“The living conditions were horrific [and] disgusting,” Licking County Sheriff’s Department Captain Jay Cook said during a news conference Wednesday.
Cook said Parr and Coleman were living with at least four of the children in a shed on the property that he described as “not very big.”
The US Sun reported that deputies executed the search warrant while Parr was inside the shed.
Coleman had reportedly left the property with two children before officers stopped and detained her during a traffic stop.
Investigators believe the remaining children had been staying inside a trailer on the property.
The nine children, their grandmother and the two arrested adults had been living at a property near US Highway 40
After Tuesday’s rescue, the children were removed from the property and placed in CPS custody
Cook said it was possible that “some of the kids were placed in cages.” Investigators also found a cage-like structure that reached approximately halfway up a doorway.
‘The way it was explained and what we saw was not necessarily a cage, like an actual big size dog cage, but there was like, a cage that kind of folds,’ Cook said.
He added that the cage was used to ‘cover the doorway’ for a room that was missing a door.
Still, Cook added that the children had allegedly revealed the abuse that would be inflicted on them.
‘Sometimes it was punishment,’ Cook said. ‘Sometimes it was, for no good reason at all, where they would have to stand with their back against the wall, like a wall–squat type situation.’
‘It was reported that they would sometimes stand there all day,’ he added.
The children also allegedly had to deal with nails on the floor that acted ‘like a marker to put their feet,’ according to Cook.
The Licking County Sheriff’s Office said it learned about the ‘deplorable’ conditions at the home after receiving a tip from Licking County Child Protective Services
The alleged abuse of the children began in April 2023, according to a felony complaint report cited by WCMH.
Parr said the allegations were ‘not true’ when he appeared in the Licking County Court of Common Pleas for his arraignment hearing on Wednesday.
‘I did not keep anyone in cages or any of the other charges,’ Parr said, per the outlet.
Parr was previously charged with operating a firearm while intoxicated in Wisconsin but that was dismissed in 2016, according to the US Sun.
However, he was later found guilty due to a no contest plea over endangering safety with a weapon and carrying a concealed weapon, per the outlet.
Coleman allegedly knew about the abuse but allowed it to happen, according to deputies. She was also arraigned on Wednesday.
Both had their bond set at $150,000 and are next scheduled to appear in court on October 23 for a preliminary hearing.
Parr has been ordered to not contact Coleman or any of the alleged victims.
The discovery comes after 16 youths, ranging from 18 months to 18 years old, were rescued from a separate home in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30.
Our News Outlet has reached out to the Licking County Prosecutor’s Office for comment. It was not immediately clear if Parr and Coleman had retained legal representation.
