Boy, 12, 'kept chained in basement'

A Utah couple who allegedly chained the man’s 12-year-old son in the basement for two months – freeing him only to eat and go to school – has been charged with child abuse.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to the couple’s home after receiving a telephone complaint, said Sgt Rosie Rivera. A sibling showed authorities a pair of handcuffs he said were used to chain his brother in the basement, according to charging documents.

The abuse allegedly occurred between August and October.

Mark Gray, 40, and his wife Christina, 35, were being held on £16,000 (€23,996) bail.

The boy told authorities his father and stepmother kept him chained when he was not at school, and made him sleep on a small rug on the concrete floor. The boy said he was allowed to eat meals with the family, but was not given much food. Deputies found a jar of peanut butter the boy had hidden.

Rivera said there were no indications of sexual abuse.

The boy has been living with a relative since October 1. Five other children have been living with a relative since the couple were charged Monday.

The delay in filing charges was due to the time it took for specialists to determine the degree of psychological injury to the boy, said Kent Morgan, a spokesman for the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office.

A doctor determined the child suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and a disorder characterised by unco-operative and hostile behaviour toward authority figures.