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Missouri Foster Mother Accused of Abusing Teen and Allegedly Attempting to Trade Her for a Monkey
LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. (TCN) — A Missouri woman who has reportedly fostered over 200 children is facing serious charges after allegedly abusing a teenage girl and abandoning her in unsanitary conditions at a Texas residence.
According to an April 6 statement from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecuting Attorney, the investigation began when the teen was reported missing and later found in Texas. Authorities have arrested 62-year-old Brenda Deutsch and charged her with child neglect, abuse, and endangerment.
As detailed in a probable cause statement reviewed by KSDK-TV, the victim alleged that Deutsch physically assaulted her using a paddle, wooden trim, shoes, and her hands. In one incident, someone reportedly restrained the girl while Deutsch struck her bare skin.
The teen also claimed that Deutsch would take away her clothing as a form of punishment and give it away. Additionally, she was allegedly sent to a psychiatric hospital and later placed in a residential facility for nine months.
Investigators say Deutsch sent the girl to stay with a friend in Texas, where she was abandoned in a filthy home surrounded by exotic animals. Deutsch allegedly told her friend she could “keep the girl” but that she would “be keeping the check.”
Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood noted the alarming number of children previously placed in Deutsch’s care and said the allegations of long-term abuse may stretch back a decade.
One witness came forward with a disturbing claim: that Deutsch had arranged for someone to transport the girl to Texas and return with a monkey in exchange. Wood stated that investigators are still working to determine the credibility of that accusation.
