A Florida private investigator and a woman forced a 12-year-old child to kneel and hold a heavy board against a wall for hours, police said.
William O’Brien, 39, and Cheryl O’Brien, 32, were arrested on child-abuse charges, according to Lake County court records.
On September 1, police took both defendants into custody and seized a wooden plank as evidence, records show.
The victim said the board punishment occurred five or six times, according to an arrest affidavit.
The child was normally made to hold the board for several hours, police said. The couple allegedly added more time whenever the child got into trouble, according to court records.
One punishment allegedly lasted from 8:00 a.m. until 11:15 p.m., police said.
Officers observed physical injuries on both of the victim’s knees consistent with prolonged kneeling, according to the arrest report.
The child told investigators they did not feel safe around either defendant, police said.
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Cheryl O’Brien also allegedly hit the victim’s back, buttocks and inner thigh with a wooden spoon, police said. She allegedly struck the child until the spoon broke, according to court documents.
Cheryl allegedly admitted making the child hold the board during the previous week because spankings and taking away belongings had failed, police said.
She claimed the plank weighed only about 10 pounds, according to court records.
Police measured the board at 5 feet long, 10 inches wide and weighing between 10 and 15 pounds, according to the report.
William O’Brien allegedly admitted the punishment was his idea and called it a “last resort,” police said.
He told officers he had previously made the child hold the board for six hours at a time, police said. The private investigator allegedly admitted he feared other corporal punishment could trigger a child-welfare report and jeopardize his job, according to court documents.
The child was removed from the home and placed with an approved family member, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families.
William and Cheryl O’Brien each posted a $2,500 bond and were released from custody, records show.
Their felony arraignments are scheduled for September 28, according to court records.
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