Foster mom, 70, avoids jail after pleading guilty to endangering teen she allegedly traded for monkey
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
A Missouri woman has avoided jail after she was accused of trading a teenage girl for a monkey.
Foster mother Brenda Deutsch, 70, pleaded guilty to child endangerment and was sentenced to seven years in prison. However, a judge suspended execution of the sentence, and she was placed on three years of probation, which will allow her to remain free if she complies to the terms, FOX2 St. Louis reported.
Therefore, if she stays away from trouble for three years, she will not end up behind bars.
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Her biological daughter, Brina Johnson, was present in the courtroom, and testified about alleged abuse. She alleged that a child, who was present in the courtroom, was traded for a monkey.
"That’s what she did; she had at least seven monkeys," Johnson said, claiming that her mother was 'no nicer to a monkey than she was to a child'.
It is alleged that Deutsch sent the child to Texas after the reported trading.
Court documents obtained by Fox News Digital say that the woman 'sought permission' to take the alleged victim to visit a friend in the state.
An anonymous call was then made to the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division, which alleged the woman was physically and mentally abusing the child.
It was later on when the allegation she had traded the girl for a monkey was learned by investigators.
As per the documents, a witness claimed that the girl had 'had been left in an unsanitary Texas home' which was filled with a number of exotic animals, and was later taken into child protective services in the state.
The teen also alleged that she was hit with objects by Deutsch including a paddle and shoes, as well as alleging that the woman 'threatened to kill' the teen if she 'did not shut up'.
"At least two witnesses have come forward with information regarding the transportation of the monkey back to Missouri after the child was delivered," prosecutor Mike Wood told NBC News.
Brina said she was 'lost for words' at the outcome, and it was not what she was hoping for.
The woman, who is said to have fostered more than 200 children over the years, had her foster care licence taken from her.
Lincoln County Judge Thomas Frawley called out Missouri for the fact she was able to keep her licence prior. He then apologized to the victims as her license was revoked.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Topics: US News, Crime, Animal Cruelty
Kiesha Dosanjh