Child Abuse? Mother Posts Photos To Facebook Of Son, 10, Dressed As Girl As Punishment For Wetting Bed

A Florida mother was arrested after she posted a photo of her son, 10, dressed as a girl to Facebook. A family member brought the photos to the attention of the police after the mother-of-three posted a series of humiliating photos to her Facebook account as punishment for her 10-year-old son wetting the bed.

According to WKMG, Christle Prado, the mother-of-three, and Keith Driscoll, her roommate, devised a plan to punish Christle’s 10-year-old son after he repeatedly wet the bed and his pants. According to Winter Garden police, officers were contacted November 24 by a family member about a possible child abuse case. The family member provided photos to the police officers of the child that were posted to the mother’s Facebook account.

The photos showed the boy dressed as a girl, including makeup and a dress. The Daily Mail reports that in one of the photos, streams of tears can be seen running down the child’s face as he is photographed in the dress and makeup. Prado told police that her roommate and landlord had helped her come up with the idea for the punishment.

In addition to the humiliating photos being uploaded to Facebook, WKMG notes that a neighbor also reported that the boy was made to run outside in the dress and makeup while others “pointed and laughed” at him. To make matters worse, the boy has a documented health condition that could account for his bed wetting.

Police initially arrested Prado and Driscoll on aggravated child abuse charges following the incident. However, yesterday prosecutors said the charges were dropped as there was not enough evidence to pursue the case. Angela Starke, public information officer for the Orange/Osceola County State Attorney’s Office, details exactly why the charges were dropped in this startling case of child punishment.

“The initial arrest referred to Cruelty Toward Child Infliction of Physical or Mental Injury (Statute 827.03). The statute requires that the crime cause injury to intellectual or psychological capacity of a child as ‘evidenced by discernible and substantial impairment in the ability of the child to function within the normal range.'”

Prosecutors are claiming that they cannot prove, in a court of law, that “discernible and substantial impairment in the ability of the child to function within a normal range” occurred. However, the boy and his two siblings have been removed from the home.

“The Florida Department of Children and Families confirmed Prado has been investigated for previous incidents but said they could not elaborate. I can’t disclose the findings of our case as they are not public record. But the children remain in protective custody with relatives.”

The children are now in the custody of their grandmother Sherry Morden. Sherry says that the abuse has “gone on for far too long” and that this wasn’t the first incident of abuse.

“She said the pair also forced the boy to take a cold shower and threw ice at him.”