A 12-year-old boy, R., was starved, imprisoned, and tortured by his father, Christopher Crets, and his stepmother Nicole Crets. The boy was homeschooled. The other children who lived in the home were not reported to be abused.

Christopher Crets had prior felony convictions for statutory rape and drug trafficking. R. was pulled from school to be homeschooled in early February 2020. The Cretses beat him and kept him handcuffed to a bed at night. They also starved him; he lost approximately 40 lbs. over the course of a few months’ imprisonment, and he suffered from refeeding syndrome after he was rescued.

The abuse came to light when the Cretses forgot to handcuff R. to the bed one night; he escaped and was found by authorities to whom he reported the abuse. The Cretses were charged with child abuse and kidnapping.

Date: May 2, 2020
Location: Warren County, Missouri

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