Photos have been released today that show the horrifying conditions a Tennessee toddler was forced to live in by his own parents.
Here’s what we know so far…
However, when they arrived at the property, they found something much worse.
Just 3 feet away from buckets of dead mice and a ten-foot-long boa constrictor.
Now, as you will all be aware, boa constrictors are notoriously dangerous.
The large snakes kill by wrapping their bodies around prey and constricting their muscles, effectively squeezing the life out of whatever it is they wish to eat.
While children are generally too large for boa constrictors to eat, they are still at risk of being strangled or otherwise seriously injured if one of these snakes coils around them and constricts.
So you’d think that most parents would know to never leave their child unattended with one of these creatures…
Right?
Because, as stated earlier, this unfortunate child was found inside a tiny cage with a ten-foot boa constrictor, completely unattended and neglected.
Henry County Sheriff, Monte Belew, said there were 8 other snakes living inside the room with the vulnerable boy, as well as dozens of dogs running around the property.
“With all of the law enforcement experience up here, it’s hard to find something that actually shocks us… But I’ve never seen this before, and I can guarantee the gentlemen up here with me have never seen this before.”
Sheriff Belew described parts of the home as not having any flooring at all and said that the kitchen was “unlivable.”
He also noted that maggots and cockroaches infested the entire trailer, including the kennel where the boy slept.
Eighty-six chickens, fifty-six dogs, ten rabbits, 4 parakeets, 3 cats, 8 snakes, one pheasant, 531 rodents, to be precise.
“They were in tanks and they were completely filled to the top with feces. It was a complete mess. There was trash on the floor, cockroaches all over us, and flies everywhere.”
T.J Brown, Heather Scarborough, and Charles Brown were taken into custody in late June on several counts including aggravated child abuse and animal cruelty.
And argued that it was a “makeshift playpen for a lower-income family”, WKRN reported.
It was obvious that it was far from a cheap play-pen.
The poor child can be seen standing in the tiny cage, surrounded by what appears to be dog toys.
The fate of the eighteen-month-old boy is currently unknown, though it is believed he was taken in by social services.
The trial continues.