Couple charged with abuse for allegedly locking 4-year-old in filthy room for extended time

KNOX COUNTY, Ky. -- (WDKY) -- The Knox County Sheriff's Office arrested Nickalas Jorgenson, 23, and Natasha McBee, 23, Thursday evening and charged them both with criminal abuse, unlawful imprisonment and wanton endangerment.

Deputies responded to the pair's home and were told by the two suspects that the child, 4, was locked in his room for 20 minutes as punishment, but the child told authorities he was locked in the room for long enough that he was forced to use the restroom on the floor, according to the arrest citation.

The child's room had a lock on the outside door and the window in the room was boarded with a sheet of wood. The couple told deputies that the child would try to knock holes in the floor, and holes in the child's room were found.

Deputies say the parents also advised them that the child liked to play with his own feces, and that there was nothing “wrong” with that. Deputies reported finding feces in the child's room, and said he was covered in dirt and possible feces when they made contact, according to the arrest citation.

The child was hospitalized for a full assessment.