Parents sentenced to 7 years in prison for caging autistic son

A couple was sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to each pay a $500 fine for keeping their autistic son inside a cage.


Last month, a jury recommended seven years in prison for Terry and Victoria Smith. Both were found guilty of child endangerment.
KMOV.com reported the details of the autistic boys living situation before authorities arrived.

When police, paramedics and a case worker responded, the boy’s grandmother was watching him and five siblings. Authorities say she led them to the basement, where the autistic child was in a 3-foot-by-6-foot crib covered with a plywood top and held together with bungee cords and zip ties. Investigators said the child was naked and sitting in feces and urine.

An anonymous call tipped authorities in December 2010.
Victoria Smith’s father says he believes the sentence was “a terrible injustice.” Sources in the courtroom say Victoria Smith was visibly upset and cried at times during the sentencing, however the boy’s father, Terry, did not show a great deal of emotion.
The couple has six children. It is still unclear what will happen to them.
The Smiths said they could not get enough support from the state to take care of their son. The two parents were immediately taken into custody after sentencing.