GUILTY FL - Joshua Heater & Crystal Ciampa for child abuse, Homosassa, 2011

[MorenoI]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...-but-tiny-boys-torment-went-on-and-on/1166262

SNIP:
At least a half-dozen houses in the rural neighborhood sit within earshot of his house. But beyond a handful of anonymous calls to an abuse hotline giving scant details about a beaten boy, no one tried to help.

I'm here to tell you, if we had not sheltered this kid, he would have ended up dead," she said Tuesday. "There's no doubt in my mind. He was hated so much."

:sick:

In that home on Lima Avenue, authorities say, the boy's mother and her live-in boyfriend locked him in a 4- by 4-foot closet for hours at a time. They forced him, Liotta said, to eat his own feces, drink his own urine and, once, to lick his own vomit from the kitchen floor

Much more at link about these bunch of disgusting people!!

 

[peeples]

That made me cry

 

[LCoastMom]

Reminds me of Jeanette...

Several neighbors claimed they had called in the abuse - but it seemed even more heard him screaming while locked outside in 30* weather in his underwear...

Heard him screaming all night. How does one ignore that? So terribly sad.

 

[jjenny]

Why blame the neighbors? Clearly they were calling into abuse hotline (even if anonymously). According to that article,investigators from child protective team went into that home 4 times since 2009. And obviously that child was left in the home just the same, until now (apparently because they couldn't prove anything). How many times exactly is one supposed to call until something is done?

 

[mysteriew]

I really resent the way that article is written. The neighbors tried. They made calls. They may have been anon but they made them. Protection came and talked to the boy. Ok. And he told them a 'story'. Ok, they should be used to that. He had to.

But did anyone try to prove the facts? Did anyone go to neighbors and the school? Did anyone talk to this child away from the family? Yes, once. This time. And look what they found out! They want to blame? Look inside the protection/LE system.

When talking to a minor child they should be doing a little more investigation. Then if people lie about what they know and what they saw, then they can blame other people.

Sorry for the rant but I am just sick of the abuse and sick of the excuses.

 

[mysteriew]

Reminds me of Jeanette...

Several neighbors claimed they had called in the abuse - but it seemed even more heard him screaming while locked outside in 30* weather in his underwear...

Heard him screaming all night. How does one ignore that? So terribly sad.

That's the only time when I believe that neighbors might have done better. If they had called LE for a welfare check at that time, that might have done it. Maybe. If LE showed. But by that time neighbors may have felt like anything they did, no one was listening.

 

[jjenny]

I really resent the way that article is written. The neighbors tried. They made calls. They may have been anon but they made them. Protection came and talked to the boy. Ok. And he told them a 'story'. Ok, they should be used to that. He had to.

But did anyone try to prove the facts? Did anyone go to neighbors and the school? Did anyone talk to this child away from the family? Yes, once. This time. And look what they found out! They want to blame? Look inside the protection/LE system.

When talking to a minor child they should be doing a little more investigation. Then if people lie about what they know and what they saw, then they can blame other people.

Sorry for the rant but I am just sick of the abuse and sick of the excuses.

Exactly. Investigators with child protective team showed in the home 4 times since 2009, did not remove the child, but somehow neighbors are to blame? Is it really that surprising a child might deny abuse when he is questioned presumably right there in the home?

 

[lorann]

I might understand an adult being afraid to give their name in fear of retribution from these adults IF a child was not involved. I don't happen to know any LE personally any more, but I sure would find someone who would listen to me. If 911 was called every day, wouldn't it have to be investigated sooner or later? If a child was at the front door in only underware in freezing weather and 911 was called, LE would respond. If news media was called and got involved, it would force action. If clergy got involved, they may have been able to force attention on this poor little soul. Too many excuses have been given - nobody gets a break from me on this -nobody.

ETA I agree with posters who have said the child would deny the abuse, that is classic behavior for fear of more punishment.

 

[jjenny]

I might understand an adult being afraid to give their name in fear of retribution from these adults IF a child was not involved. I don't happen to know any LE personally any more, but I sure would find someone who would listen to me. If 911 was called every day, wouldn't it have to be investigated sooner or later? If a child was at the front door in only underware in freezing weather and 911 was called, LE would respond. If news media was called and got involved, it would force action. If clergy got involved, they may have been able to force attention on this poor little soul. Too many excuses have been given - nobody gets a break from me on this -nobody.

ETA I agree with posters who have said the child would deny the abuse, that is classic behavior for fear of more punishment.

The only reason that they even removed this child now is because someone (presumably one of these neighbors, who else) took photos the abused child on their cell phone and showed the photos to the deputy. And even thought the child denied abuse again, it appears the investigators finally questioned him away from the home. So it really doesn't make any sense to blame the neighbors-they were reporting to the abuse hotline for quite some time. And why are neighbors expected to do the job of LE and CPS, and are blamed for not getting proof of abuse soon enough?

 

[LCoastMom]

This little guy is only FIVE years old - the abuse has been going on for over two years. When the police examined him the day the pictures came to light he had over twenty bruises on his torso - 24 hours later he had over 40!

From the first article I read he denied the abuse up until he was taken - he finally was able to admit to being beaten, made to eat vomit, feces and drink urine after finding safety in foster care - most abused children deny abuse WTH is wrong with these caseworkers?

Yes the blame belongs on the drug dealing mom and her POC boyfriend - but I promise, if I knew a child was being abused - LE would get tired of hearing from me...

 

[not_my_kids]

I might understand an adult being afraid to give their name in fear of retribution from these adults IF a child was not involved. I don't happen to know any LE personally any more, but I sure would find someone who would listen to me. If 911 was called every day, wouldn't it have to be investigated sooner or later? If a child was at the front door in only underware in freezing weather and 911 was called, LE would respond. If news media was called and got involved, it would force action. If clergy got involved, they may have been able to force attention on this poor little soul. Too many excuses have been given - nobody gets a break from me on this -nobody.

ETA I agree with posters who have said the child would deny the abuse, that is classic behavior for fear of more punishment.

I wouldn't automatically assume any of those things. Even with calling every day, and I am not exaggerating, it took months, (well over 100 phone calls) to get LE to respond to the blatant abuse and neglect of the kids next door to me. After a while, even I didn't believe that they were going to show. Nothing as mundane as a child outside in freezing cold would have gotten their attention. The news media didn't care since there was no active investigation. I never thought of calling clergy, I can't fault anyone else for not thinking of it either. In my case, CPS filtered out about half the calls that were made to them as not being serious or credible. The other half were referred to the CPS worker that was already involved with the kids. She simply bypassed the issues as already investigated.

I don't blame the adults, I've been the adult that has tried to get help and been shot down at every turn. Most would call the hotline and think that was enough. It should be enough.

 

[Rayemonde]

July 2012:

27-year-old Crystal Jean Ciampa. Last month, she pleaded guilty to nine felonies, including six counts of horrid abuse against her son. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison...


Doctors have diagnosed [the boy] with post-traumatic stress disorder and prescribed him the same antipsychotic medication given to combat veterans who have witnessed and delivered death...


The violence inflicted by his mother lingers inside [the boy]. Sometimes, it comes out.

His grandparents refer to those moments as "episodes." He screams, kicks, hits, bites, scratches, spits and breaks anything he can reach.

He has gone through five counselors, three psychiatrists and two kindergartens.

About a month ago, though, the family moved into a new house with a pool and a bigger yard. [His] doctor put him on Ritalin. His nightmares have diminished, and the fits of rage have become less frequent. He makes eye contact more. He tells Pat and Mike — "Mimi" and "Papa" — he loves them.

The abuse, doctors say, has set him back years. He sees therapists for his speech and motor skills...

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humani...rs-remain-in-extreme-child-abuse-case/1239014

 

[SunStar]

This is the saddest story I have ever read...thank you...

 

[tlcya]

This little guy is only FIVE years old - the abuse has been going on for over two years. When the police examined him the day the pictures came to light he had over twenty bruises on his torso - 24 hours later he had over 40!

From the first article I read he denied the abuse up until he was taken - he finally was able to admit to being beaten, made to eat vomit, feces and drink urine after finding safety in foster care - most abused children deny abuse WTH is wrong with these caseworkers?

Yes the blame belongs on the drug dealing mom and her POC boyfriend - but I promise, if I knew a child was being abused - LE would get tired of hearing from me...

I really miss you at times like this LCM.