Florida boy was beaten, locked in a dog cage, tied up for hours by mom’s partner while the mother watched and did nothing: she is now sentenced
Florida – The courtroom outcome marks a severe legal reckoning for a Florida mother whose household became the center of a disturbing child abuse investigation.
Authorities say the case exposed prolonged violence inside a home, resulting in a 60-year prison sentence for 30-year-old Taylor Schaefer.
The punishment follows Schaefer’s decision to enter an open plea in a case that shocked investigators when it first surfaced in 2023. Prosecutors pursued charges that included aggravated child abuse, conspiracy to commit child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, and failure to report child abuse.
After reviewing the evidence and the charges against her, a judge ultimately handed down a sentence that will keep her behind bars for decades.
The investigation itself painted a grim picture of life inside the home where several children lived. Detectives from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office uncovered video recordings showing Schaefer’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Shawn M. Stone, repeatedly attacking her 5-year-old son.
Deputies say the footage revealed episodes of violence that unfolded over extended periods, with the child bound and restrained while the abuse continued.
In some recordings reviewed by investigators, the boy’s hands were tied behind his back for hours. One stretch described by deputies began in the early evening, around 6:43 p.m., and continued through the night until roughly 2:02 p.m. the next day, Law and Crime reported in 2023. Authorities said the recordings also captured moments when the child’s legs, arms, torso, and feet were bound at the same time while Stone stood over him.
Deputies say the child was not only restrained but also beaten repeatedly. Video evidence showed Stone yelling at the already injured boy and kicking him during some of the incidents. In several clips, investigators said Schaefer appeared in the background and instructed the child to stand upright.
Medical evaluations later revealed the extent of the harm. Doctors identified dozens of visible injuries, at least 46 marks documented by medical staff, along with internal trauma. Among the most serious findings was a fractured skull.
Authorities say the suffering was not limited to one victim. Investigators determined that another child in the home was forced to drink extremely hot liquid and was also sprayed with boiling water. That child, deputies said, was struck with household objects and witnessed the violence directed at the younger boy.
A third child living in the same residence also faced neglect, according to investigators. Deputies reported the child did not receive adequate nutrition or appropriate care for a serious medical condition.
Evidence gathered during the case also showed the youngest victim being placed inside a dog cage while restrained. Deputies said the child was sometimes punished by being denied food.
The investigation began when Schaefer contacted law enforcement in May 2023. She told authorities she had a strong suspicion that Stone was harming her son and reviewed surveillance footage inside the home before calling police. However, as investigators continued examining the evidence, they determined that Schaefer had been present during much of the abuse and never intervened or sought help for the child despite visible injuries.
“On several occasions the boy was visibly injured and limping in her presence, but received no care or medical attention. Video showed he was not only beaten, but repeatedly left with his hands bound behind his back for hours at a time,” deputies wrote.
“The victim was also tied up, placed in a dog cage and often punished via deprivation of food.”
Stone was arrested on May 9, 2023. Authorities say he allegedly attacked the child with a mop handle and struck him with punches and kicks before fleeing from deputies on a four-wheeler. He was eventually taken into custody and booked into the Volusia County Jail, where he remains without bond.
His criminal case, which includes charges of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment, and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm, is still pending. Prosecutors with Florida’s Seventh Judicial Circuit, led by State Attorney R.J. Larizza, are handling the case.
Following the arrests, the children were removed from the residence and placed in what authorities described as a safe environment. Sheriff Mike Chitwood later spoke publicly about the investigation, emphasizing both the severity of the abuse and the relief that the victims were no longer in danger.
“The torture these kids endured is hard to imagine. The good news is they’re in safe hands now, and their scumbag abusers will have to answer for what they did,” Chitwood said.
With Schaefer now sentenced to decades in prison, one portion of the case has reached its conclusion. The prosecution of Stone, however, continues as authorities pursue accountability for the abuse investigators say unfolded behind the walls of the family’s home.
