An Indiana woman has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars after she allowed her boyfriend to torture her 3-year-old son by using pliers to pull his teeth. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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A judge said Jessica Carder, 22, failed to get her son medical attention and deserved a longer sentence, even though she pleaded guilty on felony child neglect charges.
The Hanover resident testified earlier this week that she was under the influence of drugs and didn’t know what was happening when her son’s two teeth were pulled last year, reported the Madison Courier on Tuesday.
“I think if a parent saw their child in that situation, they would run, not walk, to seek medial attention,” Judge Alison Frazier said, according to the newspaper.
Under Carder’s plea agreement, she is required to testify against Andrew Richards, 27, who is scheduled to appear in court next month.
The duo was arrested after the child was taken to the hospital with injuries to his mouth, including missing teeth and swollen gums and lips. Authorities said at the time that Carder told police that Richards pulled the child’s loose teeth while he was on oxycontin.
Richards was also accused of pulling out the boy’s toenails.
The tot is now living with his paternal grandparents.
Richards has maintained his innocence, arguing he was only helping the boy with a loose tooth.
