A Florida sheriff's deputy arrested on charges of child cruelty and neglect was fired after the police report detailing the disturbing allegations against him and his wife were made public.
Escambia County Sheriff's Deputy Christopher George Turney, 40, and his wife, Leandra Childers Turney, 39, have each been charged with neglect and contributing to the delinquency of a child, jail records show. Christopher was hit with an additional charge of cruelty toward a child.
The couple spent less than 24 hours in jail and bonded out Sunday.
The Turneys were arrested over the weekend when their adopted son allegedly told a preacher at the Beulah Baptist Church in Winter Garden, Florida, that he was going to hurt himself because he had been relentlessly subjected to physical and mental abuse at the hands of the couple since May 2022, NorthEscambia.com and WEAR-TV reported, citing arrest records.
The boy, who accused his adoptive father of regularly punching him in the face, said he withheld the accusations for so long over fear "no one would believe me because (he) is a cop," the report read. He claimed Christopher "choked him out" in July and that he would rather be "homeless" than endure the alleged weekly beatings perpetrated by his father.
The victim allegedly told investigators he was legally adopted in 2017 and had not been enrolled in public or private school since. He was allegedly forced to mow loans and hand over the money to Christopher who he said used the funds to purchase groceries.
The Turneys adopted a girl in 2019, who said she was also not enrolled in school, and did not have a doctor or dentist. The girl suffered from visibly severe tooth decay, alleged investigators.
The victim stated "she doesn't brush her teen because she does not have a toothbrush. (She) said (redacted) Christopher was 'saving up money' to get a new toothbrush and fix her teeth," the report read, according to the outlet.
During police questioning through his defense attorney, Christopher denied abusing the boy and claimed he chose to "talk things out" instead of getting physical. He said he last "spanked" a child seven years ago, authorities alleged, the outlet reported. He also claimed he planned to take care of the female victim's teeth and that she had an upcoming dental appointment scheduled.
It's unclear if the Turneys still have custody of the victims.
Christopher faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
