Child Abuse Case in Pennsylvania: Couple Charged with Severe Maltreatment of 5-Year-Old

A couple in Pennsylvania has been apprehended and charged with child abuse after allegedly subjecting a young boy to horrific treatment in their basement. The 5-year-old victim was reportedly physically assaulted daily, starved, and forced to eat his own feces to survive.

Authorities detained Colleen Cassidy, 35, and her boyfriend, Charles Smitley V, 29, early Monday morning. They face multiple charges, including endangering the welfare of a child, unlawful restraint, and assault. The investigation began after Smitley’s father reported signs of abuse, leading to the discovery of the child’s deplorable conditions.

The boy had been living with his father, Cassidy, and Cassidy’s 11-year-old son from October 2024 to April 2025. The young witness confirmed the abuse and implicated the adults, describing how he was beaten with a paddle, neglected, and kept in harsh conditions. He recounted being tied to a chair and sleeping on the cold basement floor, with no proper means to rest or hygiene.

Initially, the boy was taken to a McDonald’s by his grandfather, who noticed numerous bruises and signs of malnutrition. At the hospital, medical staff observed further injuries linked to abuse and starvation. The boy later revealed that he had gone days without eating and was sometimes ordered to consume his feces as food.

The victim’s 11-year-old stepbrother corroborated the abuse claims, and authorities reported that the elder child found the boy taped up in a closet with duct tape on his hands.

Both children have been removed from the home and are reported to be doing well. Cassidy and Smitley were arraigned and remanded to Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post bail, set at $100,000 and $250,000 respectively. Their upcoming preliminary hearings are scheduled for August 22.