Nine children ranging from 1 to 13 years old were removed from a home in Etna Township after deputies described what they called deplorable living conditions and alleged abuse. Two adults, 37-year-old Jonathan Parr and 32-year-old Jacquelyn Coleman, now face child endangerment charges tied to the case.
Deputies rescued the nine children from a home in Etna Township after finding what they described as deplorable living conditions, according to nbc4i.com. The station reports that a referral to Licking County Child Protective Services alleged the children were denied food and water, lacked sufficient living space, and were at times forced to stand for hours. Investigators also pointed to a bug infestation inside the home along with inadequate sleeping arrangements and bedding for the children.
A separate report from myfox28columbus.com describes the home as appalling and unsafe, and says Parr and Jacquelyn Coleman were both taken into custody in connection with the case following the children's removal.
Allegations Against the Two Adults Charged
The case included abuse allegations, and both Parr and Coleman were charged with child endangerment.
Under Ohio law, a violation of division (B)(1) is a second-degree felony if it results in serious physical harm, under Ohio Revised Code § 2919.22(E)(2)(d), according to the Ohio Revised Code. Parr and Coleman received bonds in court Wednesday. Records for cases filed in that court, including the county's Court of Appeals, can be searched remotely through the Licking County Clerk of Courts.
A Crowded Household Under Scrutiny
A twelfth person was reportedly also living in the home at the time deputies arrived: a 64-year-old adult, according to the sheriff's office cited in the nbc4i.com account. That brought the reported total number of occupants to 12, including the nine children removed.
The Etna Township case follows another troubling discovery in Ohio this year. More than three months earlier, four adults were arrested in Vinton County after 16 children were found living in squalor, underscoring that cases of multiple children found in neglectful conditions have surfaced elsewhere in the state in recent months.
