Two parents in Nevada, Jeffery and Misty Scanlan, have admitted to locking their 11-year-old son, who has autism, in a cage-like enclosure for six years. This shocking case came to light when a truancy officer visited their home after noticing the boy hadn’t been to school for over a week.
It all started on April 23 when the truancy officer knocked on the Scanlans’ door in North Las Vegas. Even though no one initially answered, the officer could hear a child screaming and the sound of a gate rattling inside. After about 40 minutes, Jeffery finally opened the door. He claimed the kids had missed school because they were sick.
When the officer asked to check on the children, Jeffery allowed them inside. What they found was deeply disturbing. In the living room was a large enclosure made of metal bars, locked up like a jail cell. Inside was an 11-year-old boy, wearing only a diaper. The enclosure was filthy, with feces on the walls and floor. Misty later admitted that she hadn’t cleaned it in three weeks, saying she and her husband had been too busy.
The couple said their son had severe autism spectrum disorder. However, this wasn’t the only troubling discovery. Three other children were also in the home. One of them had to be hospitalized, while the others were taken by Child Protective Services and placed with relatives.
The rest of the house was just as horrifying. It smelled of feces, and one bedroom had no furniture, trash everywhere, and holes in the walls. The room also had an exterior lock, making it impossible for anyone inside to get out on their own.
The parents admitted they also locked up their daughter, who has autism, in her bedroom at night. To stop her from touching her feces, they would duct tape the top of her shirt to her diaper. When asked why they didn’t seek help for their children, Jeffery said they didn’t know where to start and didn’t want strangers coming into their home.
Authorities were appalled by the living conditions. Child Protective Services said the parents repeatedly placed their children in dangerous situations and failed to get help despite clearly needing it.
The Scanlans pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor child neglect charge. They are scheduled to be sentenced in March, and the case has left many in the community shaken by how long these children had to endure such neglect.
This heartbreaking story has raised serious concerns about how families in similar situations can be better supported and how authorities can step in sooner to protect vulnerable children.
