FAIRMONT—A West Virginia judge has declined to reduce bail for a Fairmont woman accused of locking her 3-year-old son in a closet, torturing him and depriving him of food and water.
The Times West Virginian reports 28-year-old Brittany Nicole Lippincott on Thursday requested her bail drop from $100,000 to $30,000.
She was arrested this month on charges including child neglect resulting in serious injury.
A criminal complaint says authorities received an anonymous tip that Lippincott was selling illegal drugs at her home, prompting authorities to conduct a welfare check.
Authorities say she had outstanding warrants on drug charges.
“Deputies located items suggesting the distribution of controlled substances inside Lippencott’s residence, including digital hand scales, plastic bags with white residue, plates with white residue and snorting straws,” WBOY12 News reported.
CHILD NEGLECT CASE: A Marion County woman accused of locking a malnourished 3-year-old in a room and injuring him with pliers appeared in Magistrate Court Thursday afternoon. https://t.co/zSMg7bPEWR
— WBOY 12News (@WBOY12News) May 16, 2019
“During the search, deputies discovered a 3-year-old boy who appeared to be in poor health inside of a locked room. When deputies opened the door to the room the boy was found in, he was in just his underwear, according to court documents,” authorities reported.
The boy was taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. His ribcage was visible due to emaciation.
At the time of inspection, he only weighs 22.6 pounds and showed serious signs of trauma, which later where noted by a doctor as “penile trauma.”
The boy also stated that he has to “sit at the table and watch them eat” and that it’s “not his turn,” according to court documents.
The complaint says the emaciated and bruised toddler told authorities his genitals and lips were injured when “mom hurt me with the pliers.”
The case now goes to the county circuit court.
How to Report Suspected Child Maltreatment
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency so officials can investigate and assess the situation. Most states have a number to call to report abuse or neglect.
To find out where to call, consult the State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers website.
The Childhelp organization can also provide crisis assistance and other counseling and referral services. Contact them at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).
“Every year more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children (a referral can include multiple children),” according to Childhelp.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
