Parents arrested in Jennings County neglect case

Two Jennings County parents are being accused of child neglect after their seriously malnourished and neglected infant daughter was discovered at their home.

According to the Jennings County Sheriff’s Department, detectives were notified by the Indiana Department of Child Services about a possibly neglected 8 month old girl. Detectives discovered that the girl weighted only 9 pounds and was suffering from malnourishment, dermatitis and development delays as well as hygiene related neglect.

In interviews with the parents, Benjamin J. Tackett and Kayla T. Thompson, the parents said that they were exhausted after work and would sometimes lock the girl in a separate bedroom for up to 10 hours at a time so that they could sleep.

The children in the home were removed from the home. Detectives also interviews doctors, DCS case workers and made several follow check son the girl.

Tackett and Thompson were arrested on Wednesday on felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and neglect of a dependent.

Photos courtesy of Jennings County Sheriff’s Department