Gilbert woman abused adopted son with lighter, police say

by Morgan Sailor

A Gilbert woman is in custody on allegations she abused her 10-year-old adopted son by burning his penis with a lighter and sodomizing him with a toothbrush, authorities said.

Gilbert police arrested the 39-year-old woman on Thursday and booked her on a count each of child abuse and sexual contact with a minor, according to Maricopa County Superior Court documents. She is being held without bond.

The Republic is withholding the name of the suspect to protect the identity of the boy.

According to a court documents, the boy told investigators that his adoptive mother had on one occasion bound his hands and feet, then forced dog feces into his mouth and taped it shut using duct tape. He said she burned his private area before abusing him with a toothbrush.

On another occasion, the boy said his mother burned his penis with a curling iron, the documents said. Due to an editing error, an earlier version of the story erroneously said the child was abused with a toothbrush a second time.

A pediatrician who examined the boy found evidence of injuries consistent with the boy's account, the documents said.

The incidents occurred between May 2010 and August 2011. The woman told authorities that she had sole custody of the boy on the dates that he said the abuse happened, according to the documents.

The woman denied having knowledge of abuse or the scars, according to the court documents. Authorities said she gave inconsistent accounts about the events during an interview.