Middlesboro, KY – According to reports, a youngster from Kentucky was tortured and disciplined by his parents for “coloring outside the lines” on his homework.

Following their Sunday arrest, Ricky North, 27, and Nichole North, 24, are now being charged with multiple felonies, including strangling and child abuse. The Middlesboro Police Department said in a Facebook post announcing the arrest that the two allegedly used “duct taping” on the 5-year-old boy’s arm and legs, “cold showers,” and other “cruel punishment” to mistreat him.

“The child was subjected to this torture, cruel confinement, and cruel punishment on numerous occasions while in Mr. and Mrs. North’s care,” the statement said.

The boy’s stepmother is Nichole North, and his father is Ricky North, according to the authorities. Additionally, the pair was charged with “whipping” the youngster and “punching and slapping him in the head and face.” Additional horrifying claims, such as “holding the child by his ankles and slamming his head numerous times on the ground,” were reported by the authorities.

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Police claim that this was a part of a trend.

According to the statement, “the child was repeatedly subjected to this torture, cruel confinement, and cruel punishment while in Mr. and Mrs. North’s care.”

The boy’s condition and custody were not further disclosed by the police.

After being taken into custody on Sunday, the pair was checked into the Bell County Detention Center. Both were given a $100,000 bond after their arraignments on Monday and are still being held. They were each accused of failing to report child abuse or neglect, tampering with physical evidence, strangling, and criminal child abuse.

Preliminary hearings for Ricky North and Nichole North are scheduled for April 8.

The Norths’ child abuse case is still being investigated, according to reports.

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