Background: Benjamin Court in Fruitland Park, Florida (Google Maps). Insets (from left to right): William O'Brien and Cheryl O'Brien (Fruitland Park Police Department).
A couple in Florida is accused of forcing a 12-year-old to hold a roughly 15-pound wooden board for up to 15 hours as punishment because other forms of discipline were "not working."
William O'Brien, 39, and Cheryl O'Brien, 32, have both been charged with domestic child abuse, according to Lake County court records reviewed by Law&Crime. They were booked in the Lake County Jail before each posting a $2,500 bond on Wednesday.
On Sept. 1 at about 2:45 p.m., officers with the Fruitland Park Police Department responded to a home on Benjamin Court in Fruitland Park. The Lake County city is located in the center of the state, about 45 miles northwest of Orlando.
Officers — who had been asked to help with the case by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) — had been told that the defendants had "forced" a 12-year-old child "to hold a wooden plank for hours on end as punishment," per arrest affidavits filed in court. The officer was shown a photo of the child's knees, "which showed a clear but minor injury to both knees that was consistent with sitting on them for an extended period of time."
Upon seeing the officer, William O'Brien was "initially apprehensive," officers said.
Investigators spoke with Cheryl O'Brien, who reportedly said the child "has a history of being disobedient and causing trouble both in school and at home." She said the child had recently "struck a female student" at school.
The woman alleged that when the preteen "was given corporal punishment for this," the child said they "would have struck the female harder if [the child] knew [the child] was going to get in trouble."
Cheryl O'Brien then reportedly admitted to making the victim "hold a board against the wall for approximately the last week because they had run out of other options for punishment," such as "spanking" and taking items away from the child. She said the idea was William O'Brien's, "but she was aware of it and allowed it to continue."
"Cheryl attempted to justify the punishment by stating that the board in question was not very heavy and only weighed approximately 10 pounds," the affidavit states. The officer then "reminded Cheryl that holding 10 pounds with both arms outstretched for several hours consecutively would make the weight feel incredibly heavier than it actually was."
William O'Brien conceded, too, that the wooden board idea was his, police said. He allegedly reiterated that "it was a last resort due to other punishments not working." The man added that he tried to speak to the child and "has tried corporal punishment but feared being reported to DCF and his job as a private investigator being impacted," police said.
The man said he has made the victim hold the board "for 6 hours at a time before," and he showed the officer the plank, which was 10 inches wide, 5 feet long, and weighing 10-15 pounds, authorities said.
Then the lead investigator spoke with the child, who said they had been given this specific form of punishment "5-6 times." They added that they are "usually instructed to hold the board up against the wall for several hours but advised that more time is added if [the child] gets in trouble again."
They mentioned one specific instance days before where they were forced to hold the board from 8 a.m. to about 11:15 p.m. — more than 15 hours. The victim added that they were "previously struck by Cheryl with a wooden spoon" in the back, buttocks, and inner thigh, which caused a bruise.
One time, the woman allegedly hit the victim with a wooden spoon "until it broke." When asked if they feel safe around the defendants, the child said no.
William O'Brien and Cheryl O'Brien were arrested, and the wooden board was collected as evidence. Authorities did not state whether the victim was their son.
The defendants are scheduled to appear in court for a felony arraignment on Sept. 28.
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