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Ohio Couple Allegedly Strapped Kid To Bed, Forced Him To Stand In Corner For Days
Amy Dangel, 45, faces up to 88 years behind bars after being charged with 11 separate counts of child abuse related to her 13-year-old stepson. Her husband faces one charge in the case.
A Cincinnati, Ohio-area couple accused of starving and beating a 13-year-old boy have been indicted on a multitude of child abuse charges, officials said.
Amy Dangel, 45, and Anthony Dangel, 43, were charged with multiple counts of child endangerment related to the abuse of the teen, according to court records obtained by Oxygen.com.
Amy Dangel, the child’s stepmother, was slapped with 11 counts of child endangerment and faces up to 88 years in prison if convicted. Her husband and the child’s biological father, Anthony Dangel, faces a single endangerment charge for neglecting to stop the alleged abuse.
The couple was booked into a Hamilton County detention facility on Feb. 28. They pleaded not guilty during a recent court arraignment.
According to prosecutors, Amy Dangel forced the 13-year-old boy to stand in a corner “for days at a time,” according to a press release issued by the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. The victim was also allegedly strapped to a bed, denied bathroom access, and wasn’t given proper clothing, bedding, or blankets. Officials say the suspected abuse occurred between 2018 and 2021.
“[She] also physically abused the victim by beating the victim with belts and spoons, and withholding food,” Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement
Due to the alleged prolonged abuse, the child is underweight, suffers from PTSD, and has muscular injuries in his feet and legs due to being forced to stand for extended periods of time.
Investigators haven't released additional information regarding the open case.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters, however, described the case as “disgusting” and “senseless.”
“This is not a parent who lost control and made a mistake, but a woman who purposefully tortured a child for years,” Deters said of Amy Dangel in a prepared statement. “To do this to a child is beyond comprehension. There are some people who should simply never be parents. These two should never be permitted around children again, and we will do everything in our power to make sure that is the case.”
Anthony Dangel was released after posting 10 percent of a $50,000 bond, according to online jail records. A judge ordered him to have no contact with the teenage victim and to report to pre-trial services, additional court documents show.
His defense counsel, Mike Allen Jr., didn't immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the child abuse allegations.
Amy Dangel remains in custody on a $500,000 bond, separate records show. She faces up to 88 years in prison if found guilty.
“We don’t have any comment at this time,” her lawyer, Edward Perry told Oxygen.com on Thursday.
The Ohio couple’s next court date is set for March 14, 2022. Neither Dangel appears to have a past criminal record in Hamilton County, according to prosecutors.
Both Amy Dangel and Anthony Dangel are employed by the Miami Township Fire Department, officials said.
