Stepmother charged in alleged child abuse case
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - A Texas couple is facing charges after police said an investigation led them to a horrific case of child abuse.
According to a court affidavit,the suspected physical abuse came to light on Sept. 19, when a school teacher in Bexar County contacted police and reported seeing bruises on one of the victims at school.
When investigators from the San Antonio Bexar County Sheriff’s Office arrived they examined the 5-year-old girl and contacted Child Protective Services.
CPS examined the girl along with her 10-year-old sister and said they noticed additional bruises in various stages of healing on the girl's legs and arms.
They questioned the girl and her older sister, who told investigators about the abuse. According to the victims their father, identified as 32-year-old James Howard Chalkley, would use a belt, switch and his hands to spank them.
During the course of the investigation the oldest child told authorities that their father once held her head in the toilet and flushed it, then grabbed her little sister and flushed her head and did the same thing.
Both children informed authorities that their stepmother, identified as 22-year-old Cheyanne Chalkley, would beat them as well.
Both children participated in a forensic interview at which point it was disclosed to CPS that their father James Chalkley forced her to wear a dog shock collar.
CPS removed the sisters including their 3-year-old brother from their home, according to the affidavit. The sisters were put into a temporary foster home.
While in foster care, both victims began to disclose incidents of more abuse to their foster mother.
One incident consisted of their father smearing cat feces on their faces and forcing the younger sister to eat the “poop” said authorities.
Both victims told their foster mother that their stepmother was often present when their father would beat them and that she would also hit them.
James Chalkley was arrested and charged with injury to a child in early October.
Cheyanne Chalkley faces two counts of injury to a child.