Parents Facing Neglect Charges After Allegedly Zip-Tying 10-Year-Old Son's Hands for Hours and Forcing Siblings to Beat Him

Two parents in Indiana are facing child neglect charges after police said they tied up their 10-year-old son, didn’t feed him and encouraged his siblings to beat him.

According to court documents obtained by Fox 59 and Muncie’s Star Press, Melody Rose Greenwood, 38, and Adam Jon Greenwood, 36, were arrested earlier this week after they brought their 10-year-old son to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital for an exam. Doctors there found the child to be “extremely skinny,” and court documents allege he was suffering from nutritional neglect and child abuse.

The outlets reported that Muncie police visited the family’s home to check on the condition of the boy, as well as his seven siblings. His mother Melody allegedly told police that he was grounded and that his diet consisted of “mostly canned food, vegetables and protein,” such as beans, tomatoes and soup, per the outlets, citing court documents.

Police also interviewed the boy’s siblings, who said that everyone else in the family was allowed to eat “normal meals such as cheeseburgers and fast food,” while the 10-year-old was not allowed any snacks or junk food.

The Muncie Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Sunday, March 2.

The 10-year-old’s seven siblings also told investigators that he was often forced to stand “on the wall” for 10 to 12 hours per day for behavioral issues. The Greenwoods allegedly told the boy’s siblings to beat him if he talked or turned around, Fox 59 reported, citing court documents.

The children also told police that Melody allegedly had previously zip-tied the child’s hands behind his back for a full night, per the outlets. The Star Press reported that one officer wrote in a report that the boy had “scars and marks on his wrists.”

The boy’s parents also allegedly would place a towel over his head while he stood against the wall, as he was not allowed to play video games or watch TV like his siblings, the outlets reported, citing court documents.

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Melody also told police that all eight children were homeschooled, and one of the children allegedly said that the two oldest siblings oversaw their education, which mostly involved reading three chapters of a book per day.

Melody is facing three counts of felony neglect of a dependent, and Adam is facing two counts of felony neglect of a dependent as preliminary charges, according to Fox 59. The Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office is set to file official charges in the case soon, the outlet said.

The two have both been released from the Delaware County Jail after posting bond in the amount of $15,000 for Melody and $10,000 for Adam.

The Indiana Department of Child Services is still investigating, the Star Press reported.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.