Boy adopted by Paul and Debbie Salvetti

A 13 year old ethnic Roma boy adopted from Russia was confined to in his room and deprived of food and schooling by Paul and Debbie Salvetti, his adoptive father and stepmother, during a 3 month period in 2007. Earlier Debbie was alleged to have hit the boy with a frying pan and baseball bat. Debbie Sue Salvetti was charged with two counts of felony child abuse inflicting serious injury. Paul Joseph Salvetti faced one charge. In 2009, Paul and Debbie took a joint Alford plea and were sentenced to 20 to 33 months in jail. Paul filed several appeals requesting to withdraw his Alford plea The boy is referred to as Pesha or TS in the pleadings.
There were 3 or 4 other children in the home, including the boy's sister, possibly adopted in Peru.
The boy was adopted as an infant or toddler by Paul Salvetti and the now deceased Leslie Salvetti, who passed away in 1998.

Date: 2007-01-01

Placement type: Adoption

Type of abuse: Non-lethal physical abuse, Non-lethal deprivation

Abuser: Adoptive father, Other family member

Home schooling: yes

Location

Kernersville, North Carolina
United States

See map: Google Maps