DAYTON — A mother and her boyfriend have been formally charged in connection with a child abuse investigation in Dayton.
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Stephanas Golden, 40, was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury on seven counts of child endangering, two counts of strangulation, and resisting arrest.
Heather Pippen, 35, was indicted on two counts of child endangering, one count of strangulation, and one count of obstructing official business.
As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, the two are being held on a $500,000 bond.
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As previously reported, this case is connected to a viral social media video.
On April 21, News Center 7 watched as Dayton police were at a house on Wroe Avenue.
It was the second time that officers were at the home for a child endangering complaint.
Police said they did not have enough evidence to arrest at that time, but they returned the following day.
Pippen is the mother of five children at home and the aunt of the two younger children.
Golden is Pippen’s boyfriend and isn’t the father of any of the seven children that were removed from the home.
The children were homeschooled, according to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr., during a press conference on Friday.
“I think the abuse perpetrated on these children was nothing short of sadistic," Heck said.
He said the children were beaten with a belt on the head and neck and beaten with a paddle to the point of bleeding.
“So thank God the one child was able to film with her phone what had happened to the other child,” Prosecutor Mat Heck said.
A 15-year-old girl in the home recorded the abuse of a pre-teen relative and sent it to a trusted adult.
“When you see what’s on that video, he just, can’t believe it, it’s unimaginable,” Heck said.
The abuse shown in that video is so graphic that News Center 7 has decided not to show it.
“I think it’s clear, were abused to the point that they were tortured,” Heck said.
He believes that if unchecked, the abuse would have ended in the death of one of the children.
“When you see how it was accelerating, how it got worse all the time, I don’t think there’s any question at all,” Heck said.
As a result of the investigation, children services took seven children from the house.
The seven children were divided into three separate foster homes.
In addition to the seven children, authorities also found 14 dogs and 18 chickens. Animal welfare groups took the animals.
We will continue to follow this story.
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