David and Pamela Martin, parents of teen handcuffed to pole, charged with child abuse

• KCPD
• David and Pamela Martin allegedly mistreated their son.

The parents of the 17-year-old boy who was found by police to be handcuffed to a pole in the basement of the family’s Northland home have been charged. David L. Martin, 42, and his wife, Pamela Martin, 41, have been charged in Clay County with child abuse and felonious restraint of a child, The Star reports. Pamela Martin is the boy’s stepmother.

The two are being held on $50,000 bond. The boy was discovered last week after a neighbor called a child-abuse hotline. He said he had been locked to the pole since late September, and given only occasional bathroom breaks and fed only oatmeal, ramen noodles and bologna sandwiches. There are plenty more depressing details. Read them here if you want to.