Johnny James and Kayla Clark, Texas couple tie man’s 15 year old daughter to tree for 3 days in relative’s Oklahoma backyard cause teen girl couldn’t be trusted as part of ‘disciplinary issues.’
A father and his girlfriend have been accused of trying up the man’s 15 year old daughter to a tree in a backyard over the course of the 3 days, Oklahoma cops said.
Johnny James, 40, of Texas upon his arrest earlier this week was charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect while the man’s live in girlfriend, Kayla Sharee Clark, 42, was booked with enabling child neglect according to a release.
Matters came to the fore on July 28, when deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home in Vera, a small town in northeast Oklahoma about 25 miles north of Tulsa, following a child abuse complaint, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
Clark’s sister, whose home the family were visiting, told deputies her 15-year-old niece was tied up in the backyard between a red shed and chicken coop and needed medical attention, with ‘a hole in her leg and lesions on her arms,’ the affidavit stated. The relative during a 911 call said the girl had been there for three days and that she was sneaking the 15-year-old food.
The 15-year-old girl and her family were visiting from Texas, according to police. Deputies responded to the home, where they encountered the 15-year-old girl sitting in the backyard along a rectangular piece of carpet, leaning over at the waist with a bandage below her knee and a ‘ratchet-style tie down strap around her,’ according to the arrest affidavit.
Cops spoke with a woman who the 15-year-old identified as her ‘nana’. The woman at first ‘did not want to be truthful’ and said she did not know about the girl’s condition, according to deputies. But she then allegedly admitted to knowing what was going on but was ‘too afraid’ of James to say anything.
James arrived home and told deputies he tied her up the 15 year old because ‘she cannot be trusted and likes to lie,’ the affidavit said. The parent reportedly told deputies the girl was not tied down long, maybe an hour while he was gone. James allegedly told deputies she was tied down on two separate occasions.
‘Johnny explained the times she is left outside was to go to the store or church this morning due to her peeing and pooping on herself and not wanting it inside so they sat her outside that way there is no mess,’ the affidavit stated. ‘When Johnny was asked, he stated this was the only option to keep her restrained because he did not know what else to do to help her.’
Do you suppose?
The father attributed the ‘disciplinary issues’ to the girl wanting to live with her mother. He also told deputies he ‘sees now he will need to figure out another solution’ besides tying her down.
When police asked Clark about the 15-year-old being tied with a ratchet strap, she responded that ‘she was taking a shower and did not know anything took place.’
Deputies arrested James and Clark and took them to the Washington County Jail where they remain on a $500,000 bond. The couple have a court hearing scheduled for Aug. 9.
First responders took the girl to the hospital. The Department of Human Services will take custody of the girl, along with other children who were in the home, the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported.
