Couple Charged in Scalding 4 yr old?

A Duffield woman has been indicted by a Scott County grand jury on charges that she threw boiling water on her 4-year-old daughter, causing second- and third-degree burns.
According to information presented in Scott County Circuit Court on May 2, Dorinda May Gibson, 21, of Cliff Mountain Trailer Park, Lot 4, Duffield, and Dennis Delaney Bentley, of 5454 North Fork Road, Pound, were indicted on one count each of felony child abuse and neglect, malicious wounding and conspiracy.
According to court information, arrest warrants have been issued for Gibson and Bentley, and they are considered fugitives from justice.
Sources close to the investigation said that on Dec. 8, 2004, in the home of a person the couple knew in Dungannon, Gibson allegedly threw boiling water on the child after becoming agitated with the 4-year-old for not obeying her.
The child suffered second- and third-degree burns to her face and back, including her eyes, mouth and scalp.
A few hours after the alleged incident, Gibson and Bentley reportedly placed the child in a tub of cold water in an effort to relieve the pain of the burns, the source said.
Once inside the tub, the child struggled with the two adults, and in the process one of the child's ankles was broken.
The source said the child was then put in a room and left unattended for several hours until another individual urged Gibson and Bentley to take the child to the hospital for treatment.
The child was treated initially at Norton Community Hospital, almost 36 hours after the incident took place, according to the official. She was then taken to the University of North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center in Chapel Hill for further evaluation of the wounds.
According to Commonwealth's Attorney Marcus McClung, the child has been placed in the custody of the state and is recovering from the injuries.
McClung said because the couple was going back and forth between the residence in Dungannon and a home in Wise County, the Virginia State Police was called in to investigate the case because of jurisdictional issues.
Trooper Ray Cox of the VSP Bureau of Criminal Investigations Office, the officer assigned to the case, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
A representative from the Scott County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday that deputies went to serve warrants on Gibson Monday evening at the listed residence in Duffield, but neither she nor Bentley was at that location.
Circuit court officials said Tuesday that the pair were directly indicted by the grand jury, therefore no criminal complaint or warrant of arrest will be filed.
A warrant has been issued by the court for the couple's arrest. Gibson is scheduled to be arraigned in Scott County Circuit Court on May 23.

man .....some people r just messed up...

[imported_juggernaut28]

This precious child will probably be scared for life over this. Besides that the painful memories to go along with it. I can't imagine the pain she's had to suffer. Honestly if I could I'd make it all go away for her. This world just keeps getting worse and seems like it's getting closer to home anymore.

i don't know whats wrong with people today, killing their children, or abusing them. I'll tell you right now when my son was born that was the most precious time and hes almost 4 now and i couldn't live another day i did something like that to him.

Some people in this world are just sick in the head and need to be in Marion or some other nut house.

[centennialdawg]

Those are not humans that do such things to children..THEY ARE JUST SORRY PIECES OF HUMAN FLESH SUCKING UP GOOD AIR! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[littlecats]

This is one of the most shocking things to have to happen to a child. I worked with this girl at Taco Bell and I just worked with her my last day there this past friday. They face up to 35 years in prison but to me that is not nothing like what they actually deserve. I wish I could help that poor child and take away all her pain and scars she is going to have. I will keep this child in my prayers.

I cannot fathom how someone could do this to an innocent child?

[cats78]

What is the world comeing to?

[Big_AL]

sick just sick. Someone doing this to something so precious. I sure would not want to be in there shoes when judgement day comes around. because the bible does say what u do unto my little ones u do unto me. they burned that child id say the will burn to. her pain may only last a short time. there is going to last forever.

Scott County Circuit Judge John Kilgore set a bond of $35,000 each Thursday for a couple accused in a Dec. 8, 2004, incident in Dungannon that inflicted second- and third-degree burns on a 4-year-old girl.
During Thursday's arraignment and bond hearing for Dorinda May Gibson, 21, and her boyfriend, Dennis Delaney Bentley, Kilgore ordered the couple cannot be around children unsupervised. Kilgore also set a motions day for Aug. 29 and jury trial dates for Gibson to begin on Sept. 23 and for Bentley on Sept. 30.
Gibson is accused of tossing a pan of scalding water on her 4-year-old daughter late last year at a residence in Dungannon. The couple are accused of fracturing the girl's ankle when they attempted to give the child a cold bath to soothe the burns, then leaving her unattended in a room for several hours until another individual urged them to take the girl for medical treatment.
On May 2, a Scott County grand jury indicted the couple on one count each of felony child abuse, neglect, malicious wounding, and conspiracy. The child reportedly did not receive her initial medical treatment at Norton Community Hospital until 36 hours after she was injured. The girl was then taken to the University of North Carolina Burn Center in Chapel Hill. She is in state custody and reported to be recovering from her injuries.
On Wednesday, Gibson's mother, Dorinda Mullins of Duffield, said her granddaughter's right arm, not an ankle, was fractured. Although Gibson had her mother's address listed on initial court documentation, and Bentley an address in Pound, Mullins said the couple have been living in Coeburn since February.
The couple were taken into custody by Wise County deputies on Wednesday and transported to Scott County. An arraignment scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday had to be postponed to 1 p.m. Thursday because the judge was unavailable.
Scott County Commonwealth's Attorney Marcus McClung said Thursday evening that Bentley will remain in the Scott County Jail until he posts bond. Gibson spent Wednesday night in the Lee County Jail because Scott County has no facilities for female inmates.
McClung said Gibson's attorney is Scott County's Janet Metz, and Bentley is represented by Stephanie Pease of Bristol, Tenn.