College Station Woman Charged With Child Abuse

College Station Resident Taken into Custody for Alleged Child Abuse

A woman in College Station, Texas is facing severe legal repercussions following her arrest for accusations of child abuse. Lela Charnell Huntt, 46, was arrested last Thursday and has been charged with Assault Causing Bodily Injury-Family Violence. The arrest records allegedly indicate a scenario of discipline gone too awry.

Grave Accusations

From the information liberally revealed in the arrest records, it is noted that Huntt—believed to have chosen an extension cord as an instrument of punishing a teenaged child—struck the innocent victim some 10-15 times with the cord. And as a result, the teenager bears visible scars and damages on her arms and legs, some of which had originally been open wounds judging by the scabbed appearances.

The unsettling events follow on the heels of another recent arrest scene where a man from the same residence was accused of a similar act—beating up a child with a belt until she bled.

Legal Consequences and Safeguards

In Texas, the Child Protection Law mandates any person suspecting child abuse or neglect to report the matter immediately. Failure to do so attracts stringent consequences. In emergencies, the reporting individual should call 911, followed by alerting the DFPS Texas Abuse Hotline either via phone at 1-800-252-5400 or an online report.

The Texas family code’s Section 261.001, outlines child abuse and neglect as particular acts or omissions carried out by an individual responsible for the child’s care, custody, or welfare. Instances include physical, emotional, sexual harm, or drug abuse-related harm, among others.

As outlined further in the sections, a person causing or allowing a child to be in a situation that causes physical or emotional harm could constitute abuse. Allowing the child’s engagement in sexual conduct or the use of a controlled substance is treated as a punishable offense, just like failure to take reasonable efforts to prevent such incidents.

At the time of the report, Lela Charnell Huntt’s bond has been set at $30,000.