GUILTY OH - John Westover & Jessica Botzko for child abuse, Toledo, 2007

georgiagirl

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TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — When Jessica Botzko's son was a baby, authorities temporarily removed him from her care when she was charged with child endangering. Nearly a decade later, the boy took matters into his own hands, authorities said.
Botzko is again accused of child endangerment after her 10-year-old son ran away from home with his younger brother and told investigators he was tired of being put in a dog cage, police said. The older boy also had been forced to wear a remote-controlled shock collar, authorities said.
At least once the 10-year-old boy was made to wear the collar — designed as a training device for animals — while inside the cage and was repeatedly shocked, court documents said. The cage, less than 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide, had a chain across the top with two locks on each end, said police Capt. Ray Carroll.
"He had to tuck his knees into his chest and he fell asleep in there on a couple occasions," Carroll said. "It wasn't continuous. It was probably on and off for punishment."
The older boy and his 5-year-old brother ran away from home Tuesday night when their father was away and their mother was dancing at a strip club, police said. They were found a few blocks away on a neighbor's porch.
http://www.courttv.com/news/2007/0504/botzko_ap.html
 
In cases like this, I always wonder how one parent brings up these 'disciplinary tactics' to the other parent. How do you say "Johnny's acting bad so let's put him in a cage and shock the out of him to see if he behaves" How do you even suggest that??

I'm glad the little fella had the courage to get him and his brother out of there. Some people don't deserve kids.
 
I think appropriate punishment would be for the parents to be put into cages that small and have shock collars!:furious:

I hope they investigate the death of their infant daughter. SIDS, my @ss!
 
I think appropriate punishment would be for the parents to be put into cages that small and have shock collars!:furious:

I hope they investigate the death of their infant daughter. SIDS, my @ss!

The article says they are planning to reinvestigate that. Prayers for this family.
 
In cases like this, I always wonder how one parent brings up these 'disciplinary tactics' to the other parent. How do you say "Johnny's acting bad so let's put him in a cage and shock the out of him to see if he behaves" How do you even suggest that??

I'm glad the little fella had the courage to get him and his brother out of there. Some people don't deserve kids.


It was both the mother and father who were involved in this. The father faces the same charges as the mother plus he is charged with cooking meth in front of the boys. The news said that the dad is the one that put the 10 yr old in the dog cage and shocked him with the dog collar because the boy stole the dad's food from the frig. The boy is 10 yrs old and weights 60 lbs. The little 5 yr old ran away with his brother but not much has been said about the 5 yr old concerning abuse. The mother was aware of the cage and collar but did nothing about it.

The cops said the house was filthy. One cop said that he stood on 3 feet of garbage in one room. The cops also said that the couple had a lizard in a aquarium and it was spotless! The rocks in the bottom of it were clean clean as the whole thing was. The kids lived in filth and were underfed but the lizard was treated like a king! Probably had the best money can buy to eat too.

This couple had a baby that died when it was real young. The police are going to check with the ME who was in charge of the autopsy on the baby to see if anything looks like abuse.
 
So they treated a reptile better than they treated their own kids......why do some people even bother to have children when quite plainly they dont want them........are these people too stupid to use birth control.
 
It was said on Nancy Grace that the kids were home schooled and the family had cut themselves off from the rest of the family. The grandparents hadn't heard from them in years. There was old food on the cabinets and also no sheets on the beds for the kids to sleep on. I'll bet the kids weren't even really schooled at all, just fended for themselves and did without so their parents could do and buy drugs.
 
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=local&id=5481013
July 17, 2007 - A couple accused of caging their two boys appeared before a judge today. They're facing accusations of locking their boys in cages and fitting them with an electronic dog collar. Jessica Botzko and John Westover both pled not guilty to charges of child endangering and possessing criminal tools.
A judge granted a motion to try the defendants separately. Westover's trial is set to begin August 28; Botzo's starts September 18.
 
I want to see how their attornies will defend these two.
 
I'm so proud of this little boy for getting himself OUT of there, AND for thinking of his brother too. How horrific what he went through. I hope he is placed with a family that will nurture him and that he is able to overcome the horrors of his upbringing and grow into a wonderful man.

These 'parents'...I can't even think of a punishment that is appropriate. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=75864

Mother accused of putting boy in cage gets 4 years in prison


Created: 10/10/2007 3:55:12 PM
Updated:10/10/2007 3:55:41 PM

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- A Toledo mother convicted of forcing her son to sit in a dog cage has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jessica Botzko apologized before the sentencing, telling the judge that her time in jail has opened her eyes to the pain she caused her children.


(more at link) Wahhhhhhh.....boohoo....... :boohoo: :mad:
 
http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=75864

Mother accused of putting boy in cage gets 4 years in prison


Created: 10/10/2007 3:55:12 PM
Updated:10/10/2007 3:55:41 PM

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- A Toledo mother convicted of forcing her son to sit in a dog cage has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Jessica Botzko apologized before the sentencing, telling the judge that her time in jail has opened her eyes to the pain she caused her children.


(more at link) Wahhhhhhh.....boohoo....... :boohoo: :mad:

Hopefully she'll be taken down to size by some gal in prison who really misses & loves her kids. People like this make me sick!!!!
 
I can't beleive she only got 4 years and with time served since I think she never posted bail does this mean that with good behavior she'll be out in no time? That just isn't right. And I hope her boys were permanently taken from her...if not who knows what kind of torture they will endure from her and her boyfriends/husbands in the future.
 
I hope that where ever they place the boys they get to stay together.
 
Four years isn't nearly enough. I agree with posters who feel that perps should get the same sentence as what they've subjected their victims to. Let her see what it feels like to wear a shock collar.
 
W
Looking back at this I'm thinking "these boys are now young men". How do you deal when your parents locked you in a cage? Put a shock collar on you? Withheld unwrapped Christmas gifts? Oh and smoked a ton of crack in front of you? Lord knows what else.

So brave at just ten years old I'm betting this now young man is a hero in some capacity.

Yup, four years each. Meanwhile the "Mrs" is like the rest of the world growing her garden and living life.

Hoping the boys did go to the family out of State together.
 

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