A Texas father, Johnny James, 41, and his girlfriend, Kayla Clark, 42, were handed out lengthy sentences on Wednesday for tying their 15-year-old daughter to a tree for “over 24 hours.” James received 35 years after pleading guilty to child abuse and neglect, while Clark was sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to child neglect and enabling abuse.
According to Lori Fullbright of local CBS affiliate KOTV, they were originally from Texas and were visiting family in Vera, Oklahoma. A local woman drove by and saw the teenage victim tied to a tree with a “ratchet strap” so she contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s office on July 28. The woman shared what she had seen with the deputies, and told them that she had given the girl food, though she noticed that her leg had a “hole” and that there were lesions on her arm.
When deputies later arrived on the scene, they found the teenage girl sitting on a rectangular piece of carpet, and she’d been tied around the waste and tethered to a tree. When the police confronted the father, he told them that he had tied up his daughter because “she cannot be trusted and likes to lie”. Moreover, James reportedly said that she was only tied down for maybe an hour while he was gone and admitted that he’d done it before, per Law & Crime. Furthermore, the victim, who is developmentally delayed, was allegedly having “bathroom issues” in the house, which is the reason why James tied her up outside, so that there would not be any “mess.”
James’ girlfriend Clark claimed that she was taking a shower and didn’t know anything that happened and didn’t see the girl tied to a tree when they left for church because she was too “frazzled.” Ultimately, investigators concluded that the father was likely punishing the girl because she wanted to live with her mother.
The Department of Human Services took custody of the teenage victim, as well as other children who were living inside the home. The girl has since been placed with a foster family and made an appearance in court earlier this week to give a victim impact statement.
