Trigger Warning: This article mentions details about child abuse.
In a bizarre case, during an abuse case judgment in Ohio, a mother insisted she was “not a criminal” as a judge sentenced her to three years of probation for abusing and restraining her child using zip ties, electrical cords, and pipes.
Stacie Gilmore’s 11-year-old son reported the abuse after being “found wandering alone in Target on Boardman-Poland Road on February 28, 2023, according to the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Youngstown woman was sentenced on Tuesday after being found guilty on October 16 of one count of unlawful restraint, two counts of endangering a child, and one count of domestic violence. She was acquitted of felony kidnapping, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence.
According to Law&Crime, Stacie Gilmore’s case underwent a three-day trial, where she denied all the allegations of child abuse, which included horrific allegations, like she hit her son with objects while he was tied up. Gilmore and her lawyer claimed the boy fabricated the abuse because she was overprotective, limited his schooling options, and restricted internet access.
⚠️ WARNING: This post describes child abuse & unlawful restraint
Stacie Gilmore, 51, of Youngstown, Ohio, was sentenced to three years of probation after being found guilty of unlawful restraint, two counts of endangering children, & domestic violence. The conviction followed a… pic.twitter.com/JCraIlbUid
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) December 3, 2025
“I am not a criminal,” she said. “I am a beacon to this community,” she added. The police officers later found the child, because he was hungry, and they fed him. The 11-year-old complained that he did not want to go home as his mother was abusive.
Gilmore admitted to tying a bedsheet to her leg and to her son to prevent him from leaving, but denied using zip ties or physically harming him. Reportedly, the 11-year-old was forced to sleep on the couch after he had broken three beds.
Gilmore, who had been in jail, received three years of probation and must undergo mental health treatment. She was also ordered to serve 55 more days to complete a total of eight months in jail. She is prohibited from contacting her son during this time, or she would serve an extra three years of jail time.
Over the last few months, we have reported some gut-wrenching stories of child abuse and neglect across various states in America. It’s sad to witness that despite such diligent police measures and several warnings, not much seems to change. For instance, there have been a lot of abuse cases from Florida, apart from racially motivated crimes from states like Chicago and Georgia.
Tipora Merriex, 18, has been charged with felony child neglect after allegedly leaving her 2-year-old daughter locked in a sweltering car with a heat index of 107 degrees while Merriex watched a “Smurfs” movie with her own siblings. The incident occurred on Saturday, July 19, at… pic.twitter.com/v7ert4nYqx
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) July 22, 2025
An 18-year-old teen mom from Florida was arrested and charged with felony child neglect on July 19, 2025, after allegedly leaving her 2-year‑old daughter locked in a sweltering car while watching “The Smurfs” with her siblings at Regal Cinema 90 in Lake City.
Similarly, in July 2024, a 9-month-old baby boy in Florida also died in a case of child abuse after his teenage mother allegedly put enough fentanyl into his bottle to kill 10 people.
According to CBS News, the mother was arrested for manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance after CPR failed, and the boy was pronounced dead in the hospital. For readers, these incidents may be just numbers, but how do we compensate for the lives that are lost due to the negligence of others?
It’s high time some people realize that parenting requires time, money, patience, and extreme levels of selflessness and engrain in their hearts and logic that every child’s life is valuable in their own way.
