Bonds lowered for father, stepmom charged with child abuse after boy found in Detroit basement

Published November 03, 2016

A judge has reduced the bonds for a Detroit father and stepmother charged with torture and child abuse after the man's missing son was found among boxes in the basement of their townhome.

District Court Judge Shannon Holmes on Friday cut bonds for Charlie Bothuell IV and Monique Dillard-Bothuell from $500,000 to $50,000. She also ordered them to wear GPS tethers if released from jail and to have no contact with children.

Charlie Bothuell V was 12 last June when police found him after a highly publicized 11-day search. Prosecutors have said the boy was "very thin, with marks on his upper body."

The father and stepmother have denied any abuse, although the elder Bothuell told state investigators last year that he had struck his son with a PVC pipe.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/bonds-lowered-for-father-stepmom-charged-with-child-abuse-after-boy-found-in-detroit-basement