A Florida man is behind bars after investigators say he subjected a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl to months of cruel treatment inside his own home, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
William Conner, 42, is now facing multiple charges, including two counts each of child abuse and child neglect. Authorities say the boy bore the brunt of the alleged abuse, describing him as Conner’s “main target.”
According to the sheriff’s office, the child was reportedly forced to live inside a detached laundry room that had no air conditioning, even as temperatures soared under Florida’s punishing summer heat. Investigators say the boy had no proper toilet and was instead made to use a bucket.
The allegations grow more disturbing from there. Deputies say the boy told them he was given food tainted with animal waste and water mixed with urine — and that once he realized what he had consumed, he became physically sick. Officials say Conner’s reaction to the child’s distress was to laugh.
On top of the alleged deprivation, deputies say Conner would sometimes prevent the boy from sleeping altogether, playing loud audio into the room through the night specifically to keep him awake.
The 14-year-old girl in the home reportedly endured similar mistreatment, though details on her specific experience have not been fully outlined by investigators.
The case came to light in May after Florida’s Department of Children and Families flagged concerns to the sheriff’s office, triggering a formal investigation. Once probable cause was established, Conner was taken into custody last Thursday.
A second suspect, 33-year-old Samantha Lucas, was also arrested and charged with two counts of child neglect. Both defendants have since been released after posting bond.
Officials confirmed the children have been removed from Conner’s care and are no longer living in the home. Conner is expected in court on August 11, while Lucas’s arraignment is set for August 18.