Police in Florida have arrested Joshua Louis, 28, and Roxanne Paduani, 33, on Thursday on charges that they used a stun gun to discipline their children. They were arrested after someone reported them to the Dep of Children and Families (DCF) who then reported them to the Police according to the News-Press reports.
One of the couple’s four children told police that their parents used the stun gun on them when they were bad and showed police marks left behind. One of the other children said their Dad always used the stun gun but that even though their mum was never there when it happened, she knew about it.
“They were using it as a tool to deter the children from misbehaving,”. “The stun gun inflicted pain compliance on the children and left visible marks on two of the children.” Says the Police.
Paduani reportedly told an investigator that they only used the handheld stun gun to warn one of the children, but denied ever using it on them.
A DCF spokesman said the children have been placed safely with other family members.
Their mum was booked on Thursday on two charges of cruelty to a child and is being held on a $200,000 bond. While Louis was booked on four charges of cruelty to a child. He is being held on a higher bond, $400,000 bond. Both Paduani and Louis are due in court April 4.