Left: Taylor Schaefer. Right: Shawn Stone (Volusia County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida mother is facing a lengthy prison sentence after allowing her boyfriend to inflict heinous abuse on her young son. Taylor Schaefer, 30, will spend 60 years in prison for her role in the abuse of her 5-year-old son, a case that has shocked many for its brutality and betrayal.
Schaefer’s charges include aggravated child abuse, conspiracy to commit child neglect with great bodily harm, and failure to report child abuse. Despite having initially called the police in May 2023 after suspecting her boyfriend, Shawn M. Stone, 35, was abusing her son, it was later revealed that she was complicit in the abuse. According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Schaefer was present during much of the torment and did not intervene or report the abuse.
The grim details came to light after Schaefer checked home surveillance footage, confirming her worst fears about Stone’s actions. However, she neglected to disclose that she witnessed many of the abusive acts firsthand. Footage and police reports indicate that the young boy endured severe physical abuse, including beatings, being handcuffed for extended periods, and being confined in a dog cage. He was also subjected to food deprivation as a form of punishment.
Authorities reviewing the video evidence were horrified by the extent of the abuse, noting that the child was often visibly injured and neglected medical attention. Despite the clear signs of abuse, Schaefer failed to protect her son, leading to her substantial prison sentence.
“On several occasions the boy was visibly injured and limping in her presence, but received no care or medical attention. Video showed he was not only beaten, but repeatedly left with his hands bound behind his back for hours at a time,” deputies wrote. “The victim was also tied up, placed in a dog cage and often punished via deprivation of food.”
Stone is charged with aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. His case is ongoing and he remains in the Volusia County Jail without bond. He was arrested on May 9, 2023, after he allegedly beat the boy with a mop handle and also punched and kicked the child before he fled from cops on a four-wheeler.
Cops then collected video from inside the home.
As Law&Crime previously reported, footage showed the boy bound with his hands behind his back for hours at a time in the days leading up to the Stone’s arrest, deputies said.
In another incident, his hands were tied behind his back from 6:43 p.m. through the night and into the next day at 2:02 p.m., authorities claim.
“On another occasion, his legs, feet, arms and torso were bound for at least an hour while Stone stood over him,” deputies said.
There was also footage that showed moments in which Stone yelled and kicked the already bruised and injured boy, according to the sheriff’s office. Schaefer would enter the picture and tell the child to stand up straight. The video also revealed that the sounds of the abuse reverberated throughout the home.
That 5-year-old sustained dozens of injuries, deputies said, with doctors noting that at least 46 of those injuries were visible. The boy also suffered internal injuries, including a fractured skull.
Deputies noted two other victims, including a child who was allegedly forced to ingest scalding hot liquid.
“It was also determined that another child in the home was forced to drink boiling water, sprayed with boiling water, and beaten with several household objects,” law enforcement said. “That child also witnessed the brutal abuse inflicted on the younger victim.”
In addition to watching the younger victim’s abuse, a third child in the residence did not get proper nutrition or care for a serious medical condition, authorities said.
The kids were taken from the residence and placed in what deputies called a “safe environment.”
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood shared a link to a GoFundMe campaign to support the children.
“The torture these kids endured is hard to imagine,” he said. “The good news is they’re in safe hands now, and their scumbag abusers will have to answer for what they did.”
