A Bogart couple was arrested Thursday afternoon, charged with subjecting their 12-year-old to extreme abuse in their home. Among other cruelties, the boy is believed to have been handcuffed in a closet for extended periods of time, shot repeatedly with a pellet gun, and sprayed with mace on multiple occasions by his mother and step-father, according to Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry.

"This is a very serious case, and as soon as it was brought to our attention we put all available investigative effort into it," Berry said. "Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of horrible things done to children, and this is just as bad, if not worse."

The case was brought to the attention of local authorities when the abused boy's six-year-old brother told his teacher what was going on in his home, and that teacher contacted the police. The two suspected adults were arrested just hours later, around 4:30 p.m.

“When this was brought to our attention we responded immediately,” Berry said.

When examined, the boy's body was found to be covered in small marks caused by a gun that shoots plastic pellets. It is believed that the couple handcuffed the boy in a closet in their home where they shot him repeatedly with these small pieces of plastic. In addition, the boy was left trapped in this closet for “significant periods of time”, according to Berry. The family had recently moved to Bogart from Athens, where the bulk of the abuse to the child is believed to have taken place, although some is believed to have occurred at an extended-stay hotel on Macon Highway.

"Whatever motivated this case coming to light, I am extremely happy about it," Berry said.

The child's mother had been working as a Walton County jailer for five months. The two suspects (age 35 and 37), whose names have been withheld to protect the child's identity, are being held at the Oconee County Jail without bail on charges of first-degree cruelty to children. The two children have both been taken into custody by The Department of Family and Children services.