Florida Couple Charged With Child Abuse After Forcing 12-Year-Old to Hold Wooden Plank for 15+ Hours

A Florida couple faces domestic child abuse charges after allegedly forcing a 12-year-old to hold a 10–15 lb. wooden board for hours as punishment. Both were booked in Lake County Jail and each posted a $2,500 bond.

Fruitland Park Couple Accused of Using Wooden Plank as Punishment for 12-Year-Old

A Florida couple has been charged with domestic child abuse after allegedly forcing a 12-year-old to hold a wooden board weighing between 10 and 15 pounds for up to 15 hours at a stretch, Law & Crime reports, citing Lake County court records and arrest affidavits.

William O'Brien, 39, and Cheryl O'Brien, 32, were booked at the Lake County Jail on Wednesday, each posting a $2,500 bond. They are scheduled for a felony arraignment on Sept. 28.

Officers called to Benjamin Court

On Sept. 1, at approximately 2:45 p.m., officers with the Fruitland Park Police Department responded to a home on Benjamin Court in Fruitland Park — a Lake County city roughly 45 miles northwest of Orlando. They had been asked to assist by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), which had received information that the couple had forced a child "to hold a wooden plank for hours on end as punishment."

Upon arrival, an officer was shown a photograph of the child's knees, which displayed what the affidavit described as "a clear but minor injury to both knees consistent with sitting on them for an extended period of time." William O'Brien was noted to be "initially apprehensive" when he saw the responding officer.

Cheryl O'Brien's account

Investigators spoke with Cheryl O'Brien, who told them the child "has a history of being disobedient and causing trouble both in school and at home" and had recently struck a female student. She said that when the child received corporal punishment for that incident, the child responded that they "would have struck the female harder" if they had known there would be consequences.

Cheryl O'Brien then admitted to making the child hold a board against the wall "for approximately the last week" because other disciplinary options — including spanking and taking away the child's belongings — were no longer effective. She attributed the idea to William O'Brien but acknowledged she "was aware of it and allowed it to continue."

When she attempted to minimize the punishment by noting the board "was not very heavy and only weighed approximately 10 pounds," the officer responded that holding 10 pounds with both arms outstretched for consecutive hours "would make the weight feel incredibly heavier than it actually was," according to the affidavit.

William O'Brien: 'a last resort'

William O'Brien confirmed the wooden board idea was his. He told police it "was a last resort due to other punishments not working." He said he had also tried speaking with the child and had attempted corporal punishment but feared being reported to DCF and the potential impact on his career as a private investigator.

He told officers he had previously made the child hold the board "for 6 hours at a time." Police collected the plank as evidence; it measured 10 inches wide, 5 feet long, and weighed between 10 and 15 pounds.

The child's account

The lead investigator then spoke directly with the child, who said this specific punishment had been administered "5–6 times." The child explained they were typically told to hold the board against the wall for several hours, with additional time added as further punishment if they misbehaved again.

The child recounted one instance in the days prior in which they were forced to hold the board from 8 a.m. until approximately 11:15 p.m. — more than 15 hours continuously. The child also told investigators they had previously been struck by Cheryl O'Brien with a wooden spoon on the back, buttocks, and inner thigh, resulting in bruising. On one occasion, the woman allegedly struck the child repeatedly with the spoon "until it broke."

When asked whether they felt safe around the defendants, the child said no.

Arrest and evidence collection

Both William O'Brien and Cheryl O'Brien were arrested at the scene. The wooden board was taken into evidence. Authorities did not specify the relationship between the defendants and the child, nor whether the victim was their son.

Court records reviewed by Law & Crime confirm both face charges of domestic child abuse. Their arraignment is set for Sept. 28.

Source: Law & Crime