Court records out of Harrison County, West Virginia describe allegations that are hard to process. An 11-year-old boy told investigators that Michael Gibson, 44, locked him in a homemade cage in his bedroom, a structure with four walls and a solid roof, for hours at a time. The boy also said he was struck with a paddle hard enough that the pain lasted for days, and that he would soil himself in the cage and then be disciplined for it. When deputies executed a search warrant, they found the locking cage in the bedroom.
Michael Gibson and Angela Gibson, 48, both face child neglect charges. Michael Gibson faces an additional charge of child abuse resulting in injury. Photos provided by Child Protective Services showed severe bruising in multiple stages of healing. Both suspects are being held in the North Central Regional Jail with no bond set.
While this case is unfolding far from the Suncoast, it raises a question every community has to answer: do we know how to spot abuse when it’s happening near us? Warning signs can include a child who flinches around adults, wears long sleeves in Florida heat, hoards food, or suddenly withdraws. Florida’s abuse hotline is 1-800-96-ABUSE, and you can report a concern anonymously. What warning signs do you think more people should learn to recognize?
