DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — A Davidson County woman was sentenced to prison after being convicted of child abuse charges related to locking a 9-year-old boy in a cage outside her home, court docs say.
Shelly Barnes entered a guilty plea, about eight months after the case was opened, according to court officials.
She pleaded guilty to two felony charges of Negligent Child Abuse, causing serious physical or mental injury, and two charges of possession of a firearm by a felon. All remaining charges were dismissed pursuant to an agreement with the District Attorney.
In October of 2022, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a 9-year-old boy was locked inside a dog cage at a home on Cress Road in Lexington.
Deputies got the child out of the kennel and rushed him to a hospital.
After an investigation, detectives charged the child's parents, Jonathan and Sarah Star with felony child abuse. They also later arrested Shelly Barnes, the boy's aunt, for felony child abuse.
Court documents allege Barnes showed disregard for human life by firing a gun to terrify the boy who was running laps as punishment and also chasing him around the home with a taser.
Barnes' actions resulted in severe mental or emotional injury to the boy, according to the court documents.
In addition to evidence found by investigators, several videos of abuse were played in court for the judge.
Madam District Attorney Marissa Parker said these were just some of the multiple instances of abuse that happened in the home.
Madam DA said after interviewing other children who live in the home, the children said the 9-year-old slept outside and they were not allowed to play with him.
Court documents revealed that the boy was kept in a 25-50 pound dog kennel for months and in one instance, for three days straight in the rain.
"This child, I have never seen a situation like this,” DA Parker explained. “What happened to this boy, you almost wish you were dreaming so you could wake up in this wouldn’t be real," Parker continued.
Madam DA said the nine-year-old was taken out of the home in October 2022.
"Now that he is safe, he doesn’t have to be scared,” Parker shared.
Court documents said the 9-year-old is in therapy and will successfully finish the school year. His grandfather, who lives in California, has requested placement. That process is ongoing.
Four other children who lived in the home were also removed. One lives with a biological father in Colorado. The other three are in foster care.
Sarah Starr, the 9-year-old's stepmother was pregnant when she was arrested. Madam DA said she had the baby while incarcerated, and that baby has been adopted by a family in Tennessee.
Starr is still going through the court process for the child abuse charges she is facing.
Detective Forester, a lead investigator on the case, made a statement during court saying, "This is the worst child abuse case we have ever seen. It’s hard to live with seeing that.”
After Barnes pleaded guilty in court Wednesday, Madam DA requested the maximum sentence for each charge.
The Superior Court Judge accepted Barnes' guilty plea and sentenced her to a minimum of 7 and a maximum of 12 years in prison.
Shelley Barnes' defense attorney, Anastasia Tramontozzi with Dummit Fradin said, "She (Barnes) does not take this lightly. She is taking responsibility.”
The defense attorney continued to say Barnes had a rough upbringing and also suffers from PTSD, depression, bipolar, and seizures.
Along with her sentence, Barnes is being ordered to go to psychiatric counseling, and substance-abuse treatment, and to have no contact with the victim. She also has to go under a mental health evaluation.
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