In King County, Washington, Child Protective Services (CPS) dropped the ball on a case of severe mistreatment of a child despite previous contact with the child. As a result, by the time the 14 year-old child was found by investigators she weighed only 48 pounds. Investigators describe the child’s physical condition as similar to a concentration camp survivor.
The investigation started after neighbors reported screaming coming from the home. The neighbor reported approaching the home and asking if everything was alright. Someone inside the house shut the windows. Police and CPS were called to investigate. Deputies found the child. The child reports enduring severe fluid and food restrictions for years that were imposed on her by her stepmother, Rebecca Long. The child also reports corporal punishment and physical abuse. The child had been denied medical and dental care for several years. She has also been denied an education outside the home. Her stepmother home schooled the child. The child was allowed to shower every two to three weeks. The fourteen year-old girl has a brother who was treated somewhat better, but still lived under abusive conditions with her.
Both children have been removed from the home, placed in foster care and have been receiving medical care to help them recover from the ordeal of living with Jon Pomeroy and Rebecca Long.
It is not uncommon for child abusers often pursue methods of isolation to cover the abuse of their victims. The abusers may attempt to minimize the number of social situations their children experience, such as socializing with friends, attending school on a regular basis, access to medical care and visitation with family.
