When sheriff's deputies in St. Mary's County, Maryland, responded to a home on Roh Ranch Lane last month, they discovered what authorities describe as a daily routine of cruelty: a mother and her boyfriend allegedly securing a 4-year-old child inside a dark closet for approximately 12 hours at a time.
Background
The call came in on Monday evening. Deputies with the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office were notified that a child was being held in a closet at a residence in the 2000 block of Roh Ranch Lane in Callaway, Maryland — a coastal community located roughly 70 miles south of Washington, D.C.
Upon arrival, authorities said they were given consent to enter the home. What they found inside would lead to criminal charges against two adults authorities say had been confining the young child as part of their daily schedule.
Kaylynn Nicole Moore, 28, and James Earl Stone, 27, have been charged with child abuse and seven counts of child neglect in connection with the alleged treatment of the 4-year-old. Both were booked into the St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center in Leonardtown to await bond hearings.
The Investigation
When deputies entered the home on Roh Ranch Lane, they discovered a closet door secured by a bungee cord — a detail that would later appear in charging documents and become central to how authorities described the alleged abuse.
"We were given consent to enter the residence," the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "Upon entering, we located a child being held inside a closet."
The child was removed from the home and examined by medical personnel. Authorities determined that three adults and four other children lived at the residence, though those additional children did not require medical attention.
When investigators obtained and executed a search warrant for the home, they returned to the closet where the 4-year-old had allegedly been kept. The sheriff's office described finding it "in deplorable condition" — no working light and no edible food observed inside.
"The child was left in the closet daily for approximately 12 hours," Moore allegedly told investigators during interviews. Stone, identified as Moore's boyfriend who also lived at the residence, reportedly admitted to using the bungee cord to secure the closet door.
It remains unclear what role a third adult living in the home played in the alleged abuse, if any.
Key Takeaways
- Kaylynn Nicole Moore, 28, and James Earl Stone, 27, have been charged with one count of child abuse and seven counts of child neglect
- Authorities allege the 4-year-old was locked in a dark closet for approximately 12 hours each day
- The closet door was reportedly secured with a bungee cord; investigators say they found it 'in deplorable condition' with no working light or food inside
- Three adults and four other children lived in the Callaway, Maryland home; additional children were not injured
- Both defendants are held at St. Mary's County Detention and Rehabilitation Center awaiting bond hearings
What's Next
Moore and Stone remain in custody as their case moves through St. Mary's County courts. Bond hearings have been scheduled but exact dates were not immediately available. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not indicated whether additional charges could be filed or whether the third adult in the home faces potential criminal liability.
Child protective services has taken custody of all children found in the residence.