South Carolina Parents Allegedly Forced Teen Daughter To Live In Woods For Eating A Pop Tart

A South Carolina teen girl was allegedly forced by her parents to live in a tent in the woods as punishment for eating a Pop Tart without permission, WISTV (Columbia) is reporting.

Crystal Lynn Diggers, 36, and 33-year-old James Allen Diggers were arrested and each charged with one count of unlawful neglect of a child.

Authorities say the couple forced their 14-year-old daughter to live in a tent the woods for two days, with only a flashlight, a whistle, a watch, and a roll of toilet paper, as punishment for eating a Pop Tart without permission. She was expected to meet a family member at a fence at a certain time each day to receive food. The wooded area where she was sent to live, about a quarter of a mile from their home, is known to be frequented by feral hogs. The teen was also outside in her tent when severe thunderstorms rolled through South Carolina last week. Her punishment was to have lasted a week, according to WCMH (Columbus).

Police found the girl Friday night. It is unclear, as of this post, the circumstances that led to her being found.

While investigating this alleged crime, authorities also learned that during the previous month, the teen was not allowed to be inside her home between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Daily high temperatures in South Carolina have reached the upper 90’s several times in the past month, according to Time and Date, putting the teen at risk of heat stroke and dehydration, among other risks.

Unfortunately, this is not the first case of a child severely punished for a minor offense. In 2012, horrifying details emerged in the case of Savannah Hardin, who died after her grandmother, Joyce Hardin, forced her to run laps outside the family home for several hours as punishment for lying about eating candy bars. Savannah eventually became dehydrated and died after collapsing and going into a seizure, according to this Inquisitr report. Her grandmother was convicted of murder and sentenced this year to life in prison without parole.

James and Crystal Driggers are currently held without bail, while the teenager’s other four siblings have been placed in the care of a relative.

What are your thoughts on this kind of punishment for eating a Pop Tart without permission? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Images courtesy of: Sumter County Sheriff’s Office via WISTV]