A GRANDMOTHER has been arrested after her 11-year-old granddaughter gave birth to her stepdad’s child, according to police who cited DNA evidence.
On Friday, Michelle Justus, 53, was the third family member to be accused of hiding the disgusting sexual exploitation of the little Oklahoma girl.
Michelle Justus was arrested for failing to report her 11-year-old granddaughter’s pregnancy[/caption]
Dustin Walker, 34, was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter[/caption]
Cherie Walker, 34, the mom of the 11-year-old who was found pregnant, is charged with enabling sexual assault[/caption]
Authorities in Muskogee County, about an hour outside Tulsa, allege that Justus failed to report the girl’s pregnancy and was responsible for the pregnant girl in her care.
Prior to her arrest, Justus said her daughter told her that the father of her granddaughter was a 12-year-old boy and that the children just “got curious.”
At the time, the grandmother told NBC affiliate KJRH, “They’ve made my daughter and my son-in-law a monster.
“They are not. They love those children. They love them.”
The 11-year-old girl gave birth inside a disgusting home on August 16 without any medical supervision, cops said.
Dog feces was scattered across the floor, and there was no running water, according to officials. The new mom also owned little clothing.
She was approximately 36 weeks pregnant when she gave birth and had not received prenatal care or visited a doctor in over a year.
At first, her mother, Cherie Walker and stepfather, Dustin Walker, were arrested over the unsafe conditions of the home.
But after taking a DNA test, authorities found a 99.9% match between the newborn and Dustin, confirming the stepdad was the baby’s father.
Dustin was then accused of child sexual abuse, and Walker was accused of enabling it.
NEIGHBOR’S ALLEGATIONS
Cheryl Adkins, who lives next to the couple, claimed that the grandmother was helping the couple before she was arrested.
“I have witnessed them go back and forth to their mama’s house across the street,” Adkins told KJRH.
“She has provided for their needs, because they had no running water for the last two or three years.
“They have cats in the house, six children.”
All 6 children were reported to have been living in horrible conditions[/caption]
Cops said that dog feces scattered the floor and that there was no running water[/caption]
Cheryl Adkins lived next door to the Walker parents and attested to the poor living conditions[/caption]
Adkins said that she made several calls for authorities to check on the property out of fear for the child’s condition.
Meanwhile, Justus claimed that the community was unaware of the whole story, and no one knew what was happening.
She said that the conditions of the house were due to the pets.
“We have animals, and so sometimes there’s trash on the floor because the dogs get into the trash,” she said.
FAMILY CHARGED
Justus has been charged with six counts of child neglect.
Both of the parents have also been charged with six counts of felony child neglect.
Dustin was charged with sexual assault and Cherie was charged with enabling sexual assault.
All six children, including the 11-year-old girl, were taken into protective custody following the investigation.
In a statement, Muskogee County Assistant District Attorney Janet Hutson described the incident as “One of the most, if not the most serious child sexual abuse and neglect cases I have ever prosecuted.”
She said that the 11-year-old child will carry this trauma her whole life.
The parents are in Muskogee County Jail, and both are being held on a $100,000 bond.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
