KEARNS, Utah — Today, the Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced that felony aggravated child abuse charges have been filed against two parentsaccused of locking their 13-year-old son in multiple makeshift jail-style cells consistently over a year.
On August 18, 2024, Unified Police Department officers responded to the home of Melissa Gray and Travis Peterson to conduct a child abuse investigation. There, officers say they observed a 13-year-old boy in a pantry in the hallway with a metal and wood gate in front of it with a lock on it.
Officials say that Ms. Gray, who is the victim's stepmother, told police that the child had been in the cell for the "past 24 hours." Investigators add that when talking to the victim, he yelled at them and told them he was not going to get dinner.
During the interview, officers say that the boy claimed that before the hallway cell was build he would sleep in a cell in a bedroom with five locks on it that had been constructed approximately a year and a half prior.
The victim, according to investigators, claimed he thought the cell was a joke the first time he was put in it, but realized that his parents were serious when they only gave him three bathroom breaks, breakfast, and dinner. The boy also told investigators that at first he had to write things down on paper to "make requests." Eventually, according to police, the boy stopped receiving the paper.
The child, according to police, said he "felt sad" and "lonely" when he was in the cell and that he was only visited by the family's puppy.
The defendants allegedly told police they had pulled the victim out of school to homeschool him.
Both defendants, Melissa Gray and Travis Peterson, are now charged with two counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse and one count of class A misdemeanor child abuse.
“Child abuse can be manifest with both physical and emotional abuse," said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. "Parenting can be difficult, but there are acceptable ways to raise your children, and those usually focus on loving and caring for your child. Community resources are available for parents struggling with their responsibility for their children. Please reach out and ask for help if you need it."
The District Attorney also thanks police for their officers' investigation that lead to the charges being filed.
