Scioto County, Ohio – Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman announced on September 6, 2024, that charges have been filed following a troubling incident involving a 6-year-old child who was reportedly deprived of food and water during a court-ordered visitation. The child, a Kentucky resident, had been visiting his biological mother in Ohio over the past weekend.
The case came to light when Kentucky Child Protective Services contacted the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office on September 4, 2024. The child was taken to King’s Daughters Medical Center and subsequently transferred to Cabell County Hospital’s Pediatric Unit. There, he was treated for hypoglycemia, dehydration, and malnutrition.
Sheriff Thoroughman reported that local detectives, in collaboration with the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim Unit, investigated the case. They first located the child’s mother at 219 Long Street in Wheelersburg, Ohio. Following her questioning, the investigation led detectives to the child’s aunt’s residence at 423 Central Avenue, West Portsmouth, Ohio.
As a result of their findings, both the mother, Courtney M. Born, 34, of West Portsmouth, and the aunt, Michael J. Born, 31, of Wheelersburg, have been charged with Endangering Children, a third-degree felony. They are currently being held on a $50,000 bond and appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court on September 6, 2024.
Sheriff Thoroughman indicated that the investigation is ongoing and may lead to additional charges being presented to the Scioto County Grand Jury in the future.
