Parents Jon Pomeroy & Rebecca Long charged w/extreme child abuse

[Jaded]

The mother, 44, and father, 43, were arrested Friday night at their Carnation home on suspicion of Criminal Mistreatment of their daughter, according to a press release by the King County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation began August 13 after Child Protective Services (CPS) received a call from a neighbor who heard screams coming from the house. CPS called the King County Sheriff's Office and a deputy conducted a welfare check at the house.

The deputy talked with the daughter privately after her father said she was the one screaming. Appearing pale and skinny, the girl looked like she was 7 or 8 years old, rather than her stated age of 14. She said her mother disciplined her by restricting her water intake and that she was primarily given toast to eat. She also said she hadn't seen a doctor in several years.

The girl and her younger brother, 12, were taken from the house. The girl was admitted to Children's Medical Center, where she was treated for severe malnutrition for two weeks. Officials say the girl and her brother are currently in foster care and doing well.

Upon investigation, detectives discovered the mother restricted her daughter's water intake to about ½ of a small Dixie cup per day, say sheriff officials. The mother monitored her daughter's showers and bathroom habits to keep her from drinking water, and showers were limited to every two or three weeks.

The sister and brother were forced to sleep on the floor in a room with the dresser pushed in front of the door to prevent her from sneaking out and drinking water, say officials. This began after the girl was caught sneaking out of the room to drink water from the toilet. As punishment, the mother duct-taped the girl's hands behind her back and dunked her head in the toilet, said officials.

Detectives served a search warrant on the house and found the girl's room had a double deadbolt on the door, confirming she was locked in the room at times during the day. Detectives do not believe either child has had schooling in years.

The detectives also collected evidence showing the family had health insurance and that the girl's younger brother had seen a doctor in the last few years. Detectives add the family's two dogs were in good health and had recent trips to the vetrinarian. Investigators say the father is a software engineer and the mother does not work outside of the home.

http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_101308WAB_girl_teen_abuse_LJ.10b837de0.html

Will update with names and charges when they are made available....

[blue_zombie]

These poor children were treated worse than the animals. I pray that they heal and find good homes for these two.

[Jaded]

Little more info on the abuse.....

The girl and her brother "were forced to sleep on the floor in the same room as their parents, and a heavy dresser was pushed in front of the door to keep her from sneaking out and getting water."

The girl was caught one night sneaking out of her own room to drink water from the toilet, according to police. For food, she was mostly given toast.

The girl told police that her mother once duct-taped her hands behind her back and dunked her head in the toilet to discipline her.

Doctors evaluated the girl's teeth and found all of them to be eroded and chipped. She told investigators they hurt when she eats, and she recently broke a tooth while eating celery.

Doctors extracted six of her teeth under general anesthesia and capped the rest. They said the extreme dental erosion was "likely due to the shutdown of her salivary function due to extreme dehydration over an extended period of time," according to police.

Doctors found she has not gained weight since age 9.

Even though the children were removed from the home in August, it took two months to complete an investigation before deputies could arrest the parents, Urquhart said. He added that police did not fear the couple would flee in the interim.

The girl and her brother are in foster care and doing well, Urquhart said. They are enrolled in school.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008261218_webabuse13m.html

[Unamused Cat]

What the hell is wrong with those parents? :mad:

[RockRGrl]

This is so disturbing! She hasn't gained any weight for 5 years! Thank god the children are out of that home and can begin the healing process...both physically and mentally!

[Ruby]

Egads. This needs to be front-paged! If you're not going to do it, Jaded, let me know and I will! Shitheads.

[lilbay]

Oh my heavens I can not believe anyone could do this to their own kids. This poor child I know the type pain she was dealing with due to her teeth i went through similar when my jaw got broke nad several were broke off and it is not a fun thing to live with.

I pray these two can get loving homes.

I wish I could hit the lotto i would buy a huge farm and open a special home for kids who have Jackasses for parents.

I will keep these two in my prayers

[Sister Iroz]

Mom is a fucking psycho bitch! OMG I can't believe this no water she was killing her. I'm so glad sister and brother are now out of the home but pray they get the help they will need. It's going to be a long recovery for the girl both mentally & physically and the boy I know mentally. Shit what is wrong with parents who do such things.

[HijabiGirl]

I can usually remain fairly aloof when reading about these child abuse cases. But when it comes to starvation and dehydration I just feel myself crumble inside. There just isn't enough to punish these adults, I mean, you can't simulate the fear and terror these children experience. Even in prison these @ssholes know they will be fed, clothed, and housed...they don't have to know the horror of dying of starvation.

[Eagles Mom]

A couple of years ago I decided I was ready to do the foster parent thing. I have a BS degree in Sociology and am 1 class short of having a degree in Social Work. My daughter was almost ready to graduate High School and head off to college.

I live on 10 acres with a huge old farm house. Nothing special, but big, 6 bedrooms and lots of room. Keep in mind it's an OLD house, been in the family for several generations.

Because there is only one bathroom and no central heat and air, we didn't qualify as a foster home. Do you have any idea how many kids have come through that house, family and friends, in 50 years with only one bathroom and no central hvac? We have window AC and heaters in the bedrooms, and a fuel oil heater in the living room but that wasn't good enough.

As I read about these kids on here every day I wonder how many of them would come stay with me with my "awful conditions" if given the choice. It truly breaks my heart.

Ok, sorry, rant over!

[blue_zombie]

Another example of an imperfect process. There are so many loving families out there who WANT to help, and are capable of helping, and the system won't let them for some ridiculous reason.

It's wonderful to hear about giving, caring, intelligent people out there willing to do their part. Go EM!

[Silvahalo]

These so called parents are sadistic pieces of shit! I would love to seem them tortured in the same manner for years on end while incarcerated!! It is clear they have no love for their children and just used them to project their own feelings of uselessness and self -loathing...guess what you are still useless and I so loath you!

Put them in a dark dungeon and throw away the key!

I pray these two children will always have each other for the remainder of their lives.

[Jaded]

Egads. This needs to be front-paged! If you're not going to do it, Jaded, let me know and I will! Shitheads.

As soon as I can get their names, they are going FP....

[jenthgr8]

I don't know how many times I can find this kind of venom in myself, but here I go again. What the fuck is wrong with these people? You take better care of your pets than your kids? I hope these people never get their children back. And I hope they become the darlings of Cell Block D. Bubba and Bertha are waiting for both of you sick motherfuckers. I hope they kill you once they're done having their fun.

[Jaded]

King County prosecutors today filed criminal mistreatment charges against the girl's father, Jon Pomeroy, 43, and her stepmother, Rebecca Long, 44.

The couple were arrested Friday evening and released on their own recognizance after a first court appearance on Saturday.

If convicted of first- and second-degree criminal mistreatment as charged, Pomeroy and Long could face three and four years in prison, according to King County prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe.

An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 27 in King County Superior Court.

Police said they do not intend to arrest the couple immediately.

"We have no reason to run out and arrest them," said Sgt. John Urquhart, a spokesman for the King County Sheriff's Office. "The judge didn't believe they were a flight threat or a threat to the community, and neither do we."

Even though the children were removed from the home in August, it took two months to complete an investigation before deputies could arrest the parents, Urquhart said.

Prosecutors said the couple were investigated by Child Protective Services in 2005 when the girl reported being locked in her room for extended periods of time. The CPS investigation concluded that the allegations were founded after Long admitted to locking the girl in her room, but the case was not referred for criminal prosecution, prosecutors said.

Urquhart said the girl and her brother are in foster care and doing well. They are now enrolled in school. The girl's foster father reports that she has gained 20 pounds in the past six weeks, goes to a private school, is making friends and does not appear to have behavioral issues, police and prosecutors said.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008261218_webabuse13m.html?syndication=rss

Charges....
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/10/13/2008262147.pdf

[Gidget]

I'm not understanding why the parents wouldn't be arrested for this.

[Ruby]

She gained 20 pounds in 6 weeks. Shit. Amazing what a little sustenance will do, eh? I can't believe these kids won't have permanent health issues after this kind of sustained deprivation during growth. I also can't believe the parents are free at this moment. Fuckers.

[nurseronda]

I also can't believe the parents are free at this moment. Fuckers.I agree, How could a judge let these two out??? Oh, I get it, the judge thinks that someone will do his bidding for him and kill these idiots to save the tax payers some money on court costs...

[Rhoni]

If convicted of first- and second-degree criminal mistreatment as charged, Pomeroy and Long could face three and four years in prison, according to King County prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe



3 or 4 years are you fucking kidding me??!!! People get more than that for a damn drug charge.. These are children we are talking about DAmn damn damn!!

[Just my luck sucks]

I agree, How could a judge let these two out??? Oh, I get it, the judge thinks that someone will do his bidding for him and kill these idiots to save the tax payers some money on court costs

It's possible Nurseronda--this small town is not far from me. Lots of long time residents with very old fashioned values...

What I wonder is --does "Dad" still have his engineering job with a very well-known eastside technology company? I can't imagine walking through those halls to his office with all of his/their sins exposed on the news.

BAHAHAHAHA pay backs are hell daddy-o!

[nurseronda]

3 or 4 years are you fucking kidding me??!!! People get more than that for a damn drug charge.. These are children we are talking about DAmn damn damn!!I have seen child molesters get ten years and be out in less that a year. These idiots will get a little over a year each with time spent in jail plus the sentencing. The people who do the crimes always have more rights than the victims which isn't fair to the victims.

[brokenandtwisted]

Damn, and you wonder why kids kill their parents... :confused2:

[crickett]

They were investigated in 2005 by childrens so-called services and WHAT??? They NEVER checked on the children again? WTF???

[SoUncool]

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattle911/archives/151421.asp

The parents were arrested last night around 6:45 pm and then bonded out for 20k each around 9:00 pm. The same deputy that started their investigation last August was the one that arrested them.


The same patrol deputy who began the investigation into the alleged child abuse last August arrested Jon Pomeroy, 43, and his wife, Rebecca Long, 44, after charges were filed on Monday and warrants were issued.


The deputy telephoned the couple yesterday afternoon and eventually spoke with their attorney. The couple, who police say abused their 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, agreed to meet the deputy outside the King County Jail early last evening, King County Sheriff's Office spokesman John Urquhart said.

They were booked into the jail about 6:45 PM, and released on bond shortly after 9:00 PM.

[nurseronda]

I found a video of this crime. They are both were charged in King County. I have still yet to find a mugshot, but am still looking.



http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=292331&shu=1

[Jaded]

CPS reviewing the case....

"Obviously we wish we'd had the vision to know that something was going to happen to this child," Children's Administration head Cheryl Stephani said Tuesday.

The agency is still reviewing its work from 2005 to see if there are any lessons to draw. But for the most part, Stephani defended the agency's actions, saying that given the totality of the situation, the agency would have been hard-pressed to do anything differently.

"We're going to thoroughly review the case and see if there were things that were not disclosed at that point [three years ago]" Children's Administration spokesman Thomas Shapley said.

The 2005 case came to light after the girl disclosed abuse to a teacher, who called law enforcement and Child Protective Services (CPS). The girl was home-schooled, but attended a program once a week at Carnation Elementary School.

She told the CPS investigator that she wanted to go into foster care because she was "tired of eating two pieces of bread," according to notes from the CPS interview read to a reporter.

But when questioned further, the girl said that she sometimes ate soup and a sandwich for lunch, and that when her father, a software engineer, came home from work, she ate the dinner he prepared.

Her complaints, the investigator concluded, were focused more on disputes with her stepmother than they were on starvation. Given the girl's report, there wasn't a lot for the investigator to latch onto, Stephanie Allison-Noone, the regional CPS manager in charge of the case, said Tuesday.

The agency was able to determine that Long punished the girl by locking her in a room. That complaint was deemed "founded." The case quickly concluded when the investigator told the mother it was "not OK" to lock the girl in, in case of fire, and Long said she wouldn't do it again.


One of Long's relatives, who lives in another state and did not want to be named, said she had never seen any indications of abuse.

"The times I've seen her with the children, she seemed very concerned about them. She was home-schooling then because [the girl] was doing poorly and she always seemed to care about them."

To outsiders, she seemed like a woman obsessed — with knitting. She accumulated yarn with a manic focus, buying more and more skeins to add to her "stash." As the stash grew uncontrollably, she vowed on her blog to whittle it down by finishing projects for family and friends at the frantic pace of one a week. But she could not keep up. Last February, she calculated she had enough yarn in her stash for 72 projects.

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/NW_101508WABTIMES_starved_girl_cps_JM.115a58cc6.ht ml

[Gilbrit]

The agency was able to determine that Long punished the girl by locking her in a room. That complaint was deemed "founded." The case quickly concluded when the investigator told the mother it was "not OK" to lock the girl in, in case of fire, and Long said she wouldn't do it again.
Wouldn't we all like to be able to say that and be off the hook when we get a speeding ticket?


The couple were arrested Friday evening and released on their own recognizance after a first court appearance on Saturday.

If convicted of first- and second-degree criminal mistreatment as charged, Pomeroy and Long could face three and four years in prison, according to King County prosecutor spokesman Dan Donohoe.


Attempted murder, not a water downed criminal mistreatment!

The father should have a whipping session behind the woodshed for doing nothing while his "wife" did this abuse.

It sickens and disgusts me how children are allowed to be treated as common fodder by CPS and the court systems.

[Envy]

OK my blood is fucking boiling. These worthless SOB POS almost killed their children and will get out in less time than if they did this to an adult. i want to ring their fucking necks. This girl almost died and will have dental problems the rest of her life.


*picks up nail gun* May I?

[WhatThe]

*picks up nail gun* May I?

:thumbsup:
Proceed!

[Pixie]

Rebecca Long, the Carnation women who is accused of starving and thirsting her 14-year-old stepdaughter, apparently loves yarn, and to knit warm, stylish sweaters, hats and gloves for her loved ones.

We discovered this while reading what is widely believed to be her personal blog, called Shades of Green. Blog posts feature photos claiming to be of her, her parents, her husband, Jon, their 12-year-old son, and their dog.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y123/PixieT/Picture_1.jpg
screen grab of the blog "Shades of Green"


http://rainydaygreen.blogspot.com/



Long, 44, and her husband, Jon Pomeroy, 43, were charged Monday in King County Superior Court with first- and second-degree criminal mistreatment. They were booked into jail and released after each posted a $20,000 bond.

A neighbor called police after hearing screams in August. Sheriff's deputies found the 14-year-old girl emaciated, weighing just 48 pounds and severely dehydrated. It was one of the worst cases of child abuse deputies said that they had ever seen. Even worse than Marie Robinson, whose children starved to death, because in the Carnation case, the abuse was clearly intentional, authorities allege.

Detectives are clearly shaken and upset with what they had investigated. But harsh words a few of them shared privately about the case is nowhere compared to what the public has been writing in the the comments section of Long's knitting blog.

"Nobody loves you." | "How can you live with yourself, you monster? I hope you spend the rest of your pathetic life on earth in unspeakable anguish." | "You are a horrible woman! I cannot believe that you and your husband did such a despicable thing to that poor girl. I can only hope that it is true when they say what goes around comes around."

The comments degenerate into troll-baiting, not to mention strings of vulgarity that would violate Seattlepi.com's terms of service.

Still, there was this: "Hello Rebecca. Don't mind these people posting, they're just jealous of your knitting talent. BTW, I knit you a beautiful orange jumpsuit with some numbers stenciled across the front. I think it would look great on you."

Folks out in cyberspace have been spreading Long's e-mail address around, encouraging others to write her. No doubt that inbox is overloaded by now. There have been more than 5,000 views of her blogger profile (she joined, according to Blogspot, in 2004, migrating over from livejournal).

Nowhere in the blog is there a mention of a daughter, who, by Pomeroy's admission according to King County deputies, would push her stepmother's buttons.

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/151819.asp

[Lynntoast]

Rebecca Long

http://pws.cablespeed.com/~rebel/heftyholeyscarfcropped.jpg

[Jaded]

New video on her knitting obsession....
http://www.nwcn.com/video/index.html?nvid=295293

[Maggie Mae]

I took Charlie's snack away from him today when he was throwing crackers at me and I've been feeling guilty ever since. What if he was really hungry? Am I a bad person?

THIS makes me feel much less evil.

[Jaded]

In the video, it did state that the girl did have access to food. She said that she wasn't able to eat the food because her mouth and throat were so dry she couldn't eat. I guess having a mouth full of rotting teeth didn't help either. :(

Damn...the girl just wanted a glass of fuckin water.

[Nell]

This bitch needs to be thirsted to death. I am so fucking tired of reading stories like this. Somebody needs to choke the cunt with that ugly ass scarf.

[Shadow]

This bitch needs to be thirsted to death. I am so fucking tired of reading stories like this. Somebody needs to choke the cunt with that ugly ass scarf.

when i first saw the pic of her with the scarf around her neck, i thought 'i wonder how tight we can make that scarf around her neck, see how long it takes her to suffocate, because it's strangling her..?'...btw, did someone puke a rainbow or something..FUGLY girl, FUGLY scarf, go figure...


~ceisdsgil

[Jaded]

In court today....

A Carnation couple accused of starving a 14-year-old girl and severely limiting the water she drank pleaded not guilty to felony charges Monday.

After entering not guilty pleas Monday morning to one count of first-degree criminal mistreatment and one count of second-degree criminal mistreatment, Pomeroy and Long were both allowed to leave on their own recognizance. They were released, having previously posted $20,000 bail.

As part of their release conditions, the judge ordered the two have no contact with the 14 year-old girl or Pomeroy's younger brother, who are currently in state custody.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/17814715/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

[Lynntoast]

They should have kept their nasty asses in jail until trial. Damn.

[Jaded]

I can't believe the bond was so low.....
Guess it's cause she didn't actually die, right?

[Maggie Mae]

That pisses me off SO much. I hope they're being tortured by the people in their community every time they show their faces. And even when they're hiding them.

[Jaded]

Wow....this is an unexpected twist to the story.

The case of the starving girl struck quite a nerve in our community. Earlier this month, a father and stepmother were arrested, charged with deliberately starving their daughter as punishment.

Now we've found the child was left in the home even after police and Child Protective Services workers responded to the home and found an emaciated girl begging for help.

New Department of Social and Health Services documents obtained by KING 5 show that police left the child in the home even after responding to that call. A sheriff's deputy wrote that the 14-year-old looked so malnourished that she appeared to be age 7 or 8, and weighed just 48 pounds.

On top of that, records show the girl begged the deputy for help saying, "I don't want to live here anymore" because she was only allowed a few Dixie cups of water a day.

We also learned from the records that a state social worker came to the home the day after police came in.

The worker wrote that the girl looked "extremely thin and malnourished," "is restricted from drinking water" and that the stepmother hits her with "her hand, a belt, and a clog-like shoe".

Despite all that, the social worker left the child there.

Instead of taking her out, the worker developed a safety plan with the parents telling them they must make a doctor's appointment and stop physically disciplining her while she's at this current weight.

So how did the girl finally get taken out of the home?

The next day the parents made good on their promise to CPS and took the girl to the doctor. According to the documents, medical professionals were horrified saying the girl was intentionally starved and despondent. She apparently told the doctor she'd rather have a lethal injection than go back home.

They rushed her to the hospital and made yet another call to CPS that finally led to police taking her into protective custody from Children's Hospital in Seattle.

We’ve also learned there was controversy over whether the girl should be taken from the home when law enforcement officials and Child Protective Services were called with similar complaints from the daughter in 2005, when she was 11. Carnation police and the girl’s teachers thought she should be removed for her safety, yet state officials left her there.

The records indicate the girl ran away from her home schooling center on March 4, 2005 because she was "afraid to go home." She told teachers she was locked in her room every day until 1:00 while her mother slept, and only got a meal at 8 p.m. when her father came home. She also reported her mother "hits me a lot."

The teacher called CPS and a King County Sheriff’s deputy responded as well. The deputy saw no signs of abuse and thought it was a situation of a daughter and step-mother "not getting along."

CPS closed the case after repeated, failed attempts at getting a hold of the father. In addition, the daughter told the caseworker her step-mother had quit locking her up and that they were getting along better.

That was the last time officials heard of any problems, until the call from the neighbor in August of this year.

The girl is currently in foster care. Her younger brother, who looked healthy and well-fed, was eventually taken out of the home as well and placed with different foster parents.

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/washington/stories/ki_103008INV_starving_girl_cps_KC.1660e1609.html

WTF?? So it's not just her moron parents that failed her. Everyone failed her! The people she probably thought she could turn to for help just left her there! Over and over. Shit....just holy shit.

[Eagles Mom]

How the fuck could someone walk away and leave that poor child in such awful conditions?

People like this CPS worker are the reason I am one class short of a degree in Social Work. No way I could have dealt with this crap day after day and not killed someone. At this point I'm not sure if I'm talking about the parents or the social worker....probably both.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

[...]
Jon E. Pomeroy changed his plea in King County Superior Court and pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree criminal mistreatment.
[...]

Prosecutors said they're happy with today's outcome and said Pomeroy seemed genuinely remorseful.

"He pled guilty really as he was charged, and the big thing is it will spare these kids from having to go testify against their parents," said Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Wagnild. "And that's great... that's what we were after with this."

But the girl's stepmother has pleaded not guilty and the children may have to testify if that trial goes forward.

"We knew we were going to have to try them both separately, for legal reasons, so that could have been two trials for (the children)," Wagnild said. "So even if I've only spared them one trial against the biological father with this plea, we're happy with that."

Pomeroy is scheduled to be sentenced September 18 and prosecutors will ask for the maximum sentence of 41 months in prison.http://www.kval.com/news/local/56392077.html

41 months??? For this:
... primarily given toast to eat
... restricted her water intake to about half of a small Dixie cup per day
... severe malnutrition. She was in the hospital for two weeks.
... shower every two or three weeks
... watched her during each shower and bathroom break to keep the girl from surreptitiously drinking water.
... All of her teeth had to be either pulled or capped
... sleep on the floor in the same room as their parents
... heavy dresser was pushed in front of the door to keep her from sneaking out and getting water
... sneak sips of water from the toilet
... duct-taped her hands behind her back and dunked her head in the toilet as a form of discipline
... told social workers she would rather have a "lethal injection" than go back home

And that is just info they released.

41 months??? I hope the rest of his life is a living hell. Daily and painfully.

[Jaded]

Updated the FP article as well....

http://www.dreamindemon.com/2008/10/14/jon-pomeroy-rebecca-long-discipline-wrong/

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i0.simplest-image-hosting.net/168bf183b2abe8bc9188aacc163dd507/20111012-02.jpg
Long and Pomeroy in 2008. Bothe received 3 1/2 years.

The girl is 17 now and no longer forced to sneak water from the toilet or suck condensation off windows.

But she will require physical and emotional help for years.

Three years after her father and stepmother were discovered to have starved and withheld so much water from the Carnation teenager that she wore a size 2 shoe and looked half her age, the state has agreed to pay the girl and her brother $4.6 million.

The Department of Social and Health Services said Friday it was settling a lawsuit that claimed social workers missed obvious opportunities to intervene during years of abuse that one King County sheriff's detective said was the worst he'd ever seen.
[...]

During a visit with a social worker back in 2005, when the girl was just 11, she had begged to be placed in foster care after claiming she was sometimes allowed just two pieces of toast a day. Social workers closed the case a month later, recommending the child undergo counseling.

DSHS said it has since changed many of the policies that allowed the abuse to continue unabated. But the girl's attorney said lax rules hadn't been the only problem.

"Reforms are certainly welcome," the children's attorney Tim Tesh said Friday. "But if DSHS had spent a fraction of the time and resources ensuring that existing policies were followed in 2005 as they did defending this litigation, we wouldn't be in this position today."

That year, Child Protective Services had responded to a referral by a public schoolteacher who said the girl told her she was frequently locked in a room by her stepmother with barely any food. After interviewing the child, the CPS worker concluded she didn't always get enough food, but that it mostly involved disputes with her stepmom. The social worker concluded the parents were mistreating the child. The parents agreed to stop.

Instead, the parents pulled the girl out of school and stopped taking her to see doctors.
[...]

Long and her husband, the girl's father, Jon Pomeroy, would later be sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison. But questions remained about CPS' handling of the case.

Tesh said the case worker, who has since left DSHS, admitted under oath she did not prepare a "safety plan," which would have detailed steps to make sure the child had regular contact with other adults.

"When your social workers admit they didn't do their job, policies are not the only problem," Tesh said. "It appears that, as they did during the entirety of the litigation, the department continues to steadfastly deny that they were negligent in the handling of the 2005 investigation."

Shapley, the DSHS spokesman, said he didn't see it that way.

Child-welfare workers face "challenges that none of us can understand," he said. "They have to make decisions in the field under difficult circumstances, and sometimes we seem to expect them to foretell the future. We're never going to be perfect, but we're trying all the time to improve where we can."

Both children now reside out of state. The girl is still dealing with dental issues, and both will require future counseling, but Tesh called their resiliency "inspiring."

"The girl is doing as well as can be expected," he said.

The settlement must be approved by a court.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016440662_dshssettlement08m.html

[princessgrandma]

The sentence is a joke. That is the MAXIMUM for what they did to that poor kid?

And the caseworker should be found and hung or something. How the hell could anyone walk out of a situation with a child begging to be placed in foster care after telling that she was allowed only 2 pieces of toast a day?? What kind of human being could do that, walk away?

The stepmother's expression looks self-righteous and smug, like she knows there won't be much of a price to pay for what she's done. I hate her. I hate them both, remorse or not. Of course he's sorry. He got caught.

[badfish76]

$4.6 million will help with dental and mental health.

Poor kid. Hope she does well and that her part of the money is used to keep her healthy and well for a long, long time since she is so probably going to have issues that could keep her out of the work force when she grows up.

The sentencing is a joke. I have no idea why the justice system throws the book at the drug users and lets dangerous people like this walk around after only a couple of years of punishment.