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husband and wife in Bedford County are facing child abuse and malicious wounding charges, among several others, after the Bedford County Sheriff's Office and the Department of Social Services responded to a welfare check at their home.
An arrest warrant shows Wesley and Sherry Keen refused to provide the necessary care to a child, who is one of their family members.
Wesley A. Keen, 47, is charged with assault of a family member, malicious bodily injury, abuse/neglect of a child causing serious injury, abduction by force by depriving of liberty, and malicious wounding.
Wesley's mother said for eight to ten hours a day, Sherry Keen would leave a child, under the age of 18, locked in a room alone, saying she would go off shopping and doing whatever it is she wanted to do.
Hazel Byrd said there was no food, water, or bathroom available for the child.
"My son was aware of it, but did nothing about it," Bryd said.
The abused child told Byrd that Sherry would tell Wesley she was bad or stole something, then Wesley would beat the young girl with a belt buckle.
"And she started opening up and showed me all of the bruises and cuts and stuff and that her teeth were knocked out from where he hit her with his class ring," Byrd continued.
According to the arrest warrant, the Keen's not only didn't provide the necessary care, but Wesley had the intent to disfigure, disable, or kill the child.
"He broke her fingers," his mother said.
"I'm very upset because he wasn't raised that way and I don't know what happened to him," Byrd said.