Tennessee couple charged with child abuse for locking autistic child in storage room in unsanitary apartment

Two people in Tennessee were arrested on child abuse charges after investigators discovered they locked a 7-year-old autistic child in a chest, authorities said.

Mikki Dee Moody, 36, and Sean David Moody, 39, were charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect and child endangerment in a separate case after investigators obtained a search warrant for their home.

On Thursday, the Carter County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in executing a search warrant on Blevins Hollow Road in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Investigators arrived at the home and found the two suspects and a child living there who, investigators learned, has autism and cannot speak.

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Mikki Dee Moody, 36, and Sean David Moody, 39, were charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect and child endangerment. (Carter County Sheriff’s Office)

The TBI arrested Sean David Moody on a warrant charging him with abuse of a vulnerable person. Agents and investigators then executed the search warrant at the residence and found unsanitary living conditions.

“During the search of the home, it was determined that the living conditions were unsanitary,” Carter County Sheriff’s Investigator Preston White said in a statement. “Several electrical outlets contained exposed wires and animal and human feces were discovered on the flooring.”

“Information we received during the initial investigation led to the discovery of a brown storage chest in the living room,” White continued. “The chest contained urine-soaked blankets, a pillow, half-eaten pizza, and clothing that contained a substance consistent with blood.”

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Two people were arrested for child abuse after investigators discovered they locked a seven-year-old autistic child in a chest. (Getty Images)

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Investigators said they learned that the child was locked in the chest with food. Investigators then contacted child welfare services and reported their discoveries.

Mikki Dee Moody and Sean David Moody were booked into the Carter County Detention Center. Mikki Dee Moody was released after posting $75,000 bail.

The case remains under investigation.