GUILTY AZ - Scott & Andrea Bass for child abuse, Phoenix, 2010

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Exclusive: Girl Locked Up for Months, Barely Fed
Family arrested in 14yo's appalling child abuse

Updated: Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010, 6:32 AM MST
Published : Tuesday, 09 Feb 2010, 4:58 PM MST


While she was in "lock-up," the girl says her father gave her a few cans of food, crackers and bread every one or two days -- but it wasn't ever enough to satisfy her hunger.

The girl told police that while she was in lock up, she was forced to exercise until exhaustion, beaten with belts and metal rods, and pulled up by her hair if she stopped exercising.


snip

When officers opened the door, police say Bass was visibly surprised to see it empty. Inside the room was a 5-gallon bucket with about 4 inches of urine, a blanket on the tile floor, and empty cans of food, documents allege.

During questioning at the scene, Bass admitted to locking his daughter in the bathroom as discipline for stealing food and cheating in home school.

Further investigation found that the 14-year-old girl had been forced to live and sleep outside on the patio during the summer, locked in a closet for a week with no light, and locked in a bathroom for a week.

Police say that Andrea Bass acknowledged these facts, also saying, she no longer wanted to have anything to do with [the victim].



http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/exclusive-child-abuse-2-9-2010
 
Family arrested in 14yo's appalling child abuse

Further investigation found that the 14-year-old girl had been forced to live and sleep outside on the patio during the summer, locked in a closet for a week with no light, and locked in a bathroom for a week. Police say that Andrea Bass acknowledged these facts, also saying, she no longer wanted to have anything to do with [the victim].

Medical evaluation found that the girl was in the 25th percentile for weight and in the 50th percentile for height, compared to other girls her age.

Scott and Andrea Bass were arrested on Feb. 4 on the following charges: unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, failure to report neglect of a minor, and child abuse.

The Basses have other children

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/exclusive-child-abuse-2-9-2010

bass_20100209155510_320_240.JPG
 
Thank goodness she was smart enough to figure out a way to escape and expose these monsters!
 
CPS had a number of complaints against the step-mom. So what the hell happened? Why wasn't this girl taken out of the home a long time ago? Why wasn't someone going to check on her once a week? Why wasn't something done?

Why do some of our children fall through the cracks? I just don't get it :(

I am glad she is out and hopefully safe now. I hope she was fed, given a warm bath and clean clothes and a whole bunch of hugs.

Salem
 
I know this is hardly the biggest issue, but how does one cheat in homeschool? It doesn't matter what the monsters say, after that one, nobody will buy it.

I am so glad they didn't break her, that she was willing to take the chance when she had it.
 
That poor poor girl!! I wonder if the other children were the step-mothers and this girl was singled out because she wasn't hers?
No mention on where her biological mother is.
I know there are many good parents who homeschool, but homeschooling also can help hide horrible abuse and IMO there needs to be some kind of visual check on children who are kept isolated.
Big red flag if there had already been attention brought to the step-mother, so why the He)) did this girl fall through the cracks! I hope this girl knows there are people who really do care about her and want good things.

VB
 
Police: Girl held captive in room for 2 months
by Jessica Testa - Feb. 10, 2010 10:51 AM
The Arizona Republic


<snip>

According to court documents, the girl endured her "punishment" until Jan. 24, when she escaped by crawling through a linen closet, into an attic crawl space and kicking a board to get back into the living area of the house. She left through the back door and rode her bike to a movie theater on Van Buren Street. At the theater, an elderly couple gave her $50. She biked to a store at 44th Street and Thomas Road where she bought food, water, a backpack and new clothes. It was the first time she changed clothes in two weeks, the girl told police.

She then rode to a Starbucks in Scottsdale, where an employee called the police for her. Phoenix police were dispatched to the Bass home. Scott Bass, who works for a temporary agency, said he was unaware that his daughter had left the house when police officers and CPS agents arrived. According to court documents, he was visibly surprised to see the bathroom empty.
..........
Andrea Bass, who police said worked as a massage therapist from home, denied locking up her stepdaughter, but said the girl had not eaten or participated with the family for the past three months, according to the documents. She said her husband boarded the bathroom window in order to keep the girl from escaping.
...........
Andrea Bass told police she has a history with Child Protective Services, being involved in 15 previous reports, possibly in other states. She did not give police details, but the documents reported that California CPS had previously removed children from the family because of an alleged exorcism of a child.


more here

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...02/10/20100210abrk-girl-held-captive0210.html

It's a miracle she had enough energy for her escape!
 
14yo Abuse Victim Safely in Protective Care

Updated: Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010, 6:29 PM MST
Published : Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010, 6:29 PM MST


PHOENIX -- A 14-year-old girl who was kept locked inside a dilapidated bathroom for nearly two months is safely in protective custody, while her father sits in a jail cell.

New details are emerging about the teen's family, the day after MyFOXPhoenix broke the story .

The 14-year-old is one of five kids in the fanatically religious household, but police say she was the only one who was treated so horribly.

"She's a very bright young lady. Spoke very intelligently. Gave our detectives very detailed information that helped them and confirmed exactly what was going on," says Phoenix Police Officer Luis Samudio.

Scott Bass, 33, still sits in jail on $45,000 bond. His wife, and the victim's stepmother Angela Bass, was released Tuesday after posting $36,000 bond. The judge set Scott's bond much higher.
......................
Scott Bass apparently made numerous comments to police about his religious beliefs. The rest of the family was actually in church when the teenage girl was able to escape through a crawl space.

The rest of the kids, ranging in age from 3 to 14 years old, have been placed in CPS custody.


more here

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/14yo-abuse-victim-safe-2-10-2010

I wonder what the church thinks about these "parents".
 
I know this is hardly the biggest issue, but how does one cheat in homeschool? It doesn't matter what the monsters say, after that one, nobody will buy it.

I am so glad they didn't break her, that she was willing to take the chance when she had it.

she was copying off the pet dogs paper....

glad she is safe and hope the 'parents' rot
 
This feels like a rerun of the Jeanette Maples case here in Oregon. Oldest child singled out. Family deeply religious. Home-schooling. Starvation. Isolation. Multiple CPS reports.

I think once children get to a certain developmental stage, they refuse to take it anymore. They close off and it becomes me vs. them. This is a natural survival mechanism and probably foretells good things about this young lady's ability to heal.

Well, if the step-mom is indeed, done with the child, so be it. Sign right here. I only hope she says those same words to the judge and repeats them forcefully so this girl isn't drug through years of attempted reunification attempts.

Fourteen is an interesting age. We've found that it's at the very top end of salvageabilty of self-esteem and attachment and empathy. This teen can make it with intensive therapy and a loving foster home who understands trauma of this depth. I know it must get tiring to hear me say it but food is the most powerful torture instrument ever known.

One successful tactic we've used in cases like this are our animals. There is nothing more healing than the love of a dog or a cat. Our dogs should have earned their "medals of honor" by now. Many times, a hurting child will bond with them long before they trust humans. We've raised a little girl who was tortured with the withholding of food. It is so cathartic for her to feed and care for animals and to help in the kitchen. She's totally in charge of feeding a very disabled dog and the process of healing has been remarkable to watch. It's almost like watching her role play "getting it right for herself". It's a long haul but this might end well. I'm so pleased the other children were removed. They've been abused by proxy, if nothing else.

Blessings to this young girl.
 
This girl has been on my mind all day. I pray that tonight she's safe, warm, clean, comfy, and has a bellyful of food.

Such an enterprising young lady, to get out, ride her bike, get some money, buy clothes, food, etc.

I hope she's in a good home, and will get all her needs met. Hope she gets a good big dose of love and affection and some fun times too.
 
This story is bothering me terribly as it seems to replay over and over. Bean, I wish I could tell you that she'll be fine but I can't. We can all be assured that she's warm, dry, clean, and fed tonight. That's a huge step in the right direction but that doesn't heal the spirit. One thing that so many people can't grasp unless they've lived it is that it's highly probable that this little girl will miss her family (yes, even Mom and Dad) terribly. She'll need very delicate handling. I just pray that she landed in the arms of a very experienced foster family who knows how to help with this type of spirit-breaking torture. There's no getting around the fact that she's been terribly damaged but children can really astound us with their resilience.

I wondered about the religious fanaticism and have done some research. I can't find a church affiliation in Phoenix. It looks like this family once lived in the Independence, MO area, though. If you follow the Mohler thread as closely as I do, that alone would give you pause. They also show up in Knob Noster, MO. That's right in the middle of RLDS and Community of Christ territory. I am not wanting to be disrespectful of these faiths and churches but there sure seems to be a lot of "stories" coming out of this area concerning abuse. It could be a coincidence....or not.

Maybe someone else can find out more if they look in that direction.
 
This feels like a rerun of the Jeanette Maples case here in Oregon. Oldest child singled out. Family deeply religious. Home-schooling. Starvation. Isolation. Multiple CPS reports.

I think once children get to a certain developmental stage, they refuse to take it anymore. They close off and it becomes me vs. them. This is a natural survival mechanism and probably foretells good things about this young lady's ability to heal.

Well, if the step-mom is indeed, done with the child, so be it. Sign right here. I only hope she says those same words to the judge and repeats them forcefully so this girl isn't drug through years of attempted reunification attempts.

Fourteen is an interesting age. We've found that it's at the very top end of salvageabilty of self-esteem and attachment and empathy. This teen can make it with intensive therapy and a loving foster home who understands trauma of this depth. I know it must get tiring to hear me say it but food is the most powerful torture instrument ever known.

One successful tactic we've used in cases like this are our animals. There is nothing more healing than the love of a dog or a cat. Our dogs should have earned their "medals of honor" by now. Many times, a hurting child will bond with them long before they trust humans. We've raised a little girl who was tortured with the withholding of food. It is so cathartic for her to feed and care for animals and to help in the kitchen. She's totally in charge of feeding a very disabled dog and the process of healing has been remarkable to watch. It's almost like watching her role play "getting it right for herself". It's a long haul but this might end well. I'm so pleased the other children were removed. They've been abused by proxy, if nothing else.

Blessings to this young girl.

BBM. MissIzzy this brought tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry for everything you and your family has been through. I'm glad your daughter is getting help for herself and a disabled dog by providing love and care for it. Hugs to MissIzzy and her family! May this girl also be able to have cathartic and healing experiences. I hope she gets therapy and help she so greatly needs.
 
Police: Girl held captive in room for 2 months
by Jessica Testa - Feb. 10, 2010 10:51 AM
The Arizona Republic

<snip>

According to court documents, the girl endured her "punishment" until Jan. 24, when she escaped by crawling through a linen closet, into an attic crawl space and kicking a board to get back into the living area of the house. She left through the back door and rode her bike to a movie theater on Van Buren Street. At the theater, an elderly couple gave her $50. She biked to a store at 44th Street and Thomas Road where she bought food, water, a backpack and new clothes. It was the first time she changed clothes in two weeks, the girl told police.

She then rode to a Starbucks in Scottsdale, where an employee called the police for her. Phoenix police were dispatched to the Bass home. Scott Bass, who works for a temporary agency, said he was unaware that his daughter had left the house when police officers and CPS agents arrived. According to court documents, he was visibly surprised to see the bathroom empty.
..........
Andrea Bass, who police said worked as a massage therapist from home, denied locking up her stepdaughter, but said the girl had not eaten or participated with the family for the past three months, according to the documents. She said her husband boarded the bathroom window in order to keep the girl from escaping.
...........
Andrea Bass told police she has a history with Child Protective Services, being involved in 15 previous reports, possibly in other states. She did not give police details, but the documents reported that California CPS had previously removed children from the family because of an alleged exorcism of a child.


more here

http://www.azcentral.com/community/...02/10/20100210abrk-girl-held-captive0210.html

It's a miracle she had enough energy for her escape!

YOU GO LITTLE GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless this child.

God Bless the elderly couple who gave her the money and the folks who called police.

Massage therapist from home? Can you imagine getting a massage from this witch while a child is locked in the bathroom unfed.

Punished for stealing food? Excellent. Poor kid was starved. People are just nuts. That father deserves to be locked up unfed. He's her father. He's supposed to protect her. I guess the wicked witch he slept with was more important.

This little girl is my hero. She's going to go far in life. I know it.
 
I'm having a hard time with the home-based massage therapy and the religious zealotry. Do we usually see these two things showing up in the very same home? I'd really like to know what church this family attended. I also wonder what the pastor would say about all this.
 
sounds to me like she is smarter than both evil parents
 
I'm having a hard time with the home-based massage therapy and the religious zealotry. Do we usually see these two things showing up in the very same home? I'd really like to know what church this family attended. I also wonder what the pastor would say about all this.

The home-based massage therapy also struck out at me. Religious zealots seem to pick and choose what they want from their study of the Bible (e.g. they might abuse their children, but they attend church regularly). I've known some highly religious people in my life, including my aunt and female cousins, and I can't see any of them taking this route as a profession. Change "home-based massage therapy" to "faith healing," and maybe you've got something.
 
That poor poor girl!! I wonder if the other children were the step-mothers and this girl was singled out because she wasn't hers?
No mention on where her biological mother is.
I know there are many good parents who homeschool, but homeschooling also can help hide horrible abuse and IMO there needs to be some kind of visual check on children who are kept isolated.
Big red flag if there had already been attention brought to the step-mother, so why the He)) did this girl fall through the cracks! I hope this girl knows there are people who really do care about her and want good things.

VB

She is the only stepchild...the other 4 are children of the couple. I wonder about the biological mother, too, and while I read that the 4 bio children are in CPS custody, so far it's not clear who the girl is staying with now. I don't see mention of foster care, specifically. Is there other family? And if so, how did this escape their notice?? CPS was called on this woman THIRTEEN TIMES and nothing was done all those months??

My heart goes out to this poor girl, and I admire her ingenuity and bravery in breaking free and telling her story. Kudos to the barista who reported these wastes of breath!
 
A couple of new bits of info. This article contains more information on the other children in the home. The girl was the father's child as was a boy. The others were children of the arrested couple.

I'm also very perplexed by the 50 year old couple. I find that very odd. Who would give a frightened and filthy child $50 and not call LE and stay with her until they arrived? I can see them buying her dinner as they waited but just giving her money? And the riding of the bike 13 miles? Was this sheer adrenaline? I haven't done the math, but I'm thinking she must have been quite tiny and and weak--even after some food. 13 miles is a long way to bike. She was forced to exercise, however and maybe she's strong. She obviously wanted out of that horror pit!!

It rattles my brain to read that the step-mom didn't even "know she was there". "So, honey have you noticed some odd sounds coming from the hall bath? I tried to check in there but the doors jammed." Right.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100211...5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNwb2xpY2Vhcml6Z2k-


"The girl had escaped through the attic and rode her bike to a nearby movie theater, where a concerned couple gave her $50, police said. She then rode about 13 miles to a Phoenix strip mall and bought water, food, a backpack and clothes because she hadn't been allowed to change for weeks, Samudio said.

After that, the girl rode to a coffee shop in Scottsdale, where she asked an employee to call police."

and

Samudio said the girl and her 12-year-old brother were from Scott Bass' previous marriage, and that three girls &#8212; ages 3, 4 and 11 &#8212; were Scott and Andrea Bass' children.
 
YOU GO LITTLE GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless this child.

God Bless the elderly couple who gave her the money and the folks who called police.

Massage therapist from home? Can you imagine getting a massage from this witch while a child is locked in the bathroom unfed.

Punished for stealing food? Excellent. Poor kid was starved. People are just nuts. That father deserves to be locked up unfed. He's her father. He's supposed to protect her. I guess the wicked witch he slept with was more important.

This little girl is my hero. She's going to go far in life. I know it.
She's my hero, too! She buys clothes, a backpack, Starbucks, and then calls LE. It was like she was saying, "I'm going to be a normal teenager, no matter what you do to me." I admire her spirit.
 

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