A Clarksburg, Maryland, couple is facing child abuse charges after police say they restrained their 7-year-old son with plastic wrap and zip ties.
Craig and Nicole Williams were charged with first-degree child abuse on Dec. 2, 2015 after their son was treated at a local hospital for "multiple abrasions, blisters and bruises over his entire body," court documents state.
Police said the victim told medical staff he was frequently restrained with plastic wrap and zip ties. When asked about the blisters on his hands, the boy said his hands had been stuck in hot water. According to court documents, the victim also revealed he sometimes thinks about not wanting to live anymore.
Nicole Williams, the victim's stepmother, told police she had helped wrap her stepson in plastic wrap that is typically used for moving. She said the boy was wrapped from his shoulder to his knees, and a cloth belt or rope was then tied around him.
According to police, Nicole Williams told investigators her husband used zip ties to restrain the boy Dec. 1. Authorities said Craig Williams admitted to restraining his son, adding that the boy had been restrained that way for 30 days in the home.
Police said Craig Williams told a nurse at the hospital he had been wrapping his son in plastic at bedtime for the past seven months.
Neighbors told News4 they saw no sign of mistreatment of any of the couple's six children, who range in age from 1 to 17.
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In a statement to NBC4, David Driscoll, the attorney representing Craig Williams said, "I don't believe police looked as deeply as they could or should have into the back story of this case."
He went on to say, "Right now, what's out there for public consumption is nowhere near the full story."
