11 Children Aged 5 Mo to 11 Yrs. Old Removed From TX Home in Abuse Case

[MuffyBee]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/11-children-removed-texas-home-abuse-case-15758608
11 Children Removed From Texas Home in Abuse Case
By MICHAEL GRACZYK and NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press
February 21, 2012

Texas authorities said Tuesday they removed 11 children from a crowded home where a registered sex offender lives after they found eight confined in a small, dark bedroom with restraints tying some to their beds.

Along with the children, 10 adults were living in the one-story, 1,700-square-foot home in Dayton, about 30 miles northeast of Houston, Child Protective Services spokeswoman Gwen Carter said. One month after a raid on the house, authorities are still trying to determine how the children are related and why they were there, she said.

The children ranged in age from 5 months to 11 years. Three who were age 5 or older had not been enrolled in school, Carter said.
 ::snipping2::
One person in Texas' online sex offender registry listed the house as his address. Mark E. Marsh III was convicted in Michigan 15 years ago of criminal sexual conduct with a 15-year-old girl. He did not have a working phone number listed.
 ::snipping2::
Along with the children, two teenage runaways with a stolen car were at the home, authorities said. The boys, both 16, admitted running away from foster homes, smoking marijuana and driving a car they knew was stolen, authorities said.
 ::snipping2::
Video at Link

[MuffyBee]

   What a living hell for the children! 

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/State-removes-11-abused-and-neglected-children-3345180.php
State removes 11 abused and neglected children from Dayton home
By Cindy George
February 21,, 2012

Eleven children, some of whom were discovered tied up, were removed from a Dayton home last month - ending what investigators believe may have been lifelong physical abuse.

Child Protective Services took custody of the youngsters, ranging in age from 5 months to 11 years, after a request to investigate conditions at a home in the 600 block of Ford.

"The children were removed due to physical abuse, physical neglect and medical neglect," said Gwen Carter, spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. All the children are currently in foster homes.

Investigators discovered restrained toddlers, sick babies, beaten-up boys, teen runaways and a caretaker with numerous CPS investigations in two states at an address that a registered sex offender listed as his residence.
 ::snipping2::
Authorities removed 5- and 8-month-old boys; a 1-year-old boy; a boy and girl, 2; a 3-year-old girl; a girl and a boy, 4; a 5-year-old girl and two older boys, 8 and 11. Most are believed to be first cousins and the grandchildren of their caretaker.

Around 2 p.m. on Jan. 24, a CPS investigator and a Dayton Police Department sergeant found eight children in a "very dark" bedroom with no working light fixture and a piece of plywood covering the window, according to a CPS affidavit in support of removal filed in the Liberty County District Court.

Both 2-year-olds were tied to their beds and a legally blind 5-year-old girl was restrained on a "filthy mattress," the document said.
 ::snipping2::
The case remains under investigation. No arrests or charges had been filed as of late Monday.
 ::snipping2::

[MuffyBee]

http://www.khou.com/news/Mom-of-boy-found-tied-to-bed-in-Dayton-It-makes-me-angry-139886473.html
Mom of boy found tied to bed in Dayton: 'It makes me angry'
by Courtney Zubowski / KHOU 11 News
February 21, 2012

DAYTON, Texas -- The mother of a 2-year-old boy allegedly tied to his bed in Dayton wants criminal charges pressed against the woman she says is responsible.
 ::snipping2::
Weaver’s 2-year-old and 5-month-old sons, along with nine other children, were removed from the home in the 600 block of Ford Ave. in Liberty County in late January.

According to court documents, eight of the children were found living in a dark 10x10 room. Three of the children were restrained to their beds. The kids ranged in age from 5 months to 11 years old.

"They said my son was tied up to the point of not being able to move at all," said Weaver. "It makes me angry."

Weaver lost custody of her children. She does not live with them. Her mother, Tanda Smith, now cares for them. Smith owns the home where the children were living and has custody of some of them.

Weaver said when police and CPS caseworkers visited the home last month, her sister was in charge. She blames her for the restraints.

"They’re trying to blame my mother and she hadn’t been here all day," Weaver said.

Weaver said she doesn’t believe this is an ongoing problem, but rather a one-time occurrence.
 ::snipping2::
There were two temporary houses set up in the backyard, and Weaver said two of her sisters live with their children in them. She said four adults live in the home, not 10 as CPS reflected in their affidavit.

"There’s not 10 adults living here. Where would 10 adults sleep," she asked.

According to court documents, the children did not attend school and a registered sex offender has his permanent address listed at the Dayton home.

Weaver said the registered sex offender is her brother.

"He is registered here, he comes here like he is supposed to, but he doesn’t sleep here," she said.

As to the questioning of schooling, Weaver said the children are home-schooled just like she was.

"She does home school very good. It’s a Christian curriculum. It’s the School of Tomorrow. She’s got all of her school books, so I don’t see anything wrong with that," Weaver said.
 ::snipping2::
According to Smith, CPS has been called to the house six times over the past several years. She said the cases were investigated and no action was taken.

CPS could not confirm that as of the writing of this article.

CPS was also looking into information that Smith had six children removed from her home in Michigan in the 80s.

"The kids were taken, but she was able to go back after two to four years and fight again. Her rights were never terminated. That’s what I was told," said Weaver.

In a 12-page hand-written letter given to KHOU 11 News, Tanda Smith described the day she arrived home to find CPS and police at her home.

"I looked around and seen all the babies but three. I asked where they were Hannah said in the back room with CPS and a cop," Smith wrote. "I saw Katarina, Charles and Sylvia on the child leashes I asked who did this and got no answer. I removed them and we left the room."

The kids were removed from the home that day. They have all been placed in foster care.

A custody hearing is set for March 9, 2012.

No charges have been filed in the case, but Liberty County District Attorney Mike Little said the case will be presented to a grand jury.

[Sister]

Weaver is delusional if she truly believes this was a one-time thing.  Good Lord, the grandmother was awash with children.  I predict we will learn more horrifying details before this is over . . . unless, of course, it gets brushed under the carpet (which wouldn't surprise me as not too much will surprise me again after poor Caylee's injustice).

[cookie]

Weaver is delusional if she truly believes this was a one-time thing.  Good Lord, the grandmother was awash with children.  I predict we will learn more horrifying details before this is over . . . unless, of course, it gets brushed under the carpet (which wouldn't surprise me as not too much will surprise me again after poor Caylee's injustice).

I agree Sister...did this woman who is complaining ever visit her own children to know what kind of care they were getting???
those kids were probably tied up and left in that room all the time..I do not for 1 minute think that this is a one time thing!
I might have missed it but what brought authorities to the house in the first place?
I can't imagine a grandmother or anyone else doing this to children...

[Sister]

Weaver is delusional if she truly believes this was a one-time thing.  Good Lord, the grandmother was awash with children.  I predict we will learn more horrifying details before this is over . . . unless, of course, it gets brushed under the carpet (which wouldn't surprise me as not too much will surprise me again after poor Caylee's injustice).

I agree Sister...did this woman who is complaining ever visit her own children to know what kind of care they were getting???
those kids were probably tied up and left in that room all the time..I do not for 1 minute think that this is a one time thing!
I might have missed it but what brought authorities to the house in the first place?
I can't imagine a grandmother or anyone else doing this to children...

I'n not sure Cookie.  Apparently, Smith has been investigated more than once.
Weaver had a 2-year old and two 5-month old children at the house.  Can't take care of her own children . . . wonder why?

[MuffyBee]

I agree with you Sister and Cookie, that this wasn't a one time thing. 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Dark-secrets-at-children-s-Dayton-home-emerge-3361384.php
Dark secrets at children's Dayton home emerge
CPS took custody of the kids found confined inside a room
By Cindy Horswell
February 26, 2012

[MuffyBee]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107225/Police-report-details-abuse-11-children-taken-Texas-house-horrors.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Missing teeth, black eyes, no food, and no school: Police report details horrific abuse of 11 children taken from squalid Texas 'house of horrors'
    Children taken into emergency custody after raid on January 24 aged between five months and 11 years
    Shocking details from police report reveal eight children were tied up in single darkened room
    One boy, aged 11, was covered in bruises, had a black eye and was missing a tooth
    Child Protection Agency knew about living conditions back in 2005

By Meghan Keneally and Beth Stebner
February 27, 2012

Photos at Link

[MuffyBee]

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/dayton/news/judge-hears-from-parents-in-dayton-child-abuse-cases/article_938f8b55-10e1-54eb-8986-2f9ee8ae51be.html
Judge hears from parents in Dayton child abuse cases
March 31, 2012

Parties seeking custody of the 11 children that state Child Protective Services removed from a Dayton home, during a Jan. 24 child abuse investigation, appeared March 30 before District Judge Mary M. Craft in Liberty. They were there for a series of status hearings in which CPS briefed the court on the nature of the children’s temporary placements and on how the children have been doing physically and emotionally.

CPS and Dayton Police Department personnel found most of the children, all related to one another, tied up and anchored to beds in a darkened room of a home in the 600 block of Ford Road.

In most cases, CPS summarized in court the extent to which custody-seeking parents have complied with the agency’s individual plans, which have been personalized behavioral road maps that could lead to the reunification of families.

If parents do not satisfy CPS by a January 2013 dismissal date, then the court could terminate parental rights. The plans include numerous hoops, depending on the parent, and could involve the completion of psychological assessment, parenting classes, and either an assessment or treatment for substance abuse.
Much more...