Dad testifies in Washington child abuse trial, denies he withheld food, neglected adopted son

LONGVIEW, Wash. — A Washington state man accused of neglecting and withholding food from five adopted children has taken the witness stand in his defense.

Jeffery Trebilcock of Longview on Wednesday denied forcing a 13-year-old boy to eat dog food, making him stay outside on a porch and leaving him barefoot. Trebilcock says the boy could eat as much food as he wanted but he liked the taste of dog food.

The Daily News reports (http://is.gd/PbSi8v) Trebilcock testified he didn’t realized the boy was malnourished because he never saw him undressed.

The boy weighed only 49 pounds in March 2011 when the state took custody of him and four sisters.

Trebilcock and his wife, Rebecca, are charged with criminal mistreatment in a bench trial before a Cowlitz County Superior Court judge.