Police: Weatherford Child Choked, Beaten and Tortured, Couple Arrested

A Weatherford man and woman have been arrested in what police are calling one of the worst cases of child abuse they have ever seen.

Wednesday, July 28th 2010, 4:29 pm

By: News 9


By Adrianna Iwasinski, NEWS 9

WEATHERFORD, Oklahoma -- A Weatherford man and woman have been arrested in what police are calling one of the worst cases of child abuse they have ever seen.

Jason Paul Ferguson, 28, and the infant's mother, Gabriel Janie Silcott, 22, are in the Custer County Jail. Both are facing child abuse charges for the injuries the 22-month-old girl sustained.

Weatherford Police Capt. Todd Doyals said the abuse had been going on for several weeks and that the girl had been beaten, tortured, slapped and choked. According to the probable cause affidavit, the child had bruises all over her body.

"She had bruising head to toe, fingertip to fingertip, front to back," said Capt. Doyals. "She had been strangled. She had been thrown, slapped. You name it."

Weatherford police said it could have led to the child's death had the mother not texted family for help when she did. Police said the boyfriend admitted to performing CPR at one point to keep the infant alive.

"Had she not reached out when she did…it was a brief moment of intervention. There's no doubt in my mind this child would have died," Capt. Doyals said.

When officers arrived at the Weatherford apartment, they found the badly battered child, her scared mother and her boyfriend hiding in the closet. Police said they asked the mother why she hadn't asked for help sooner and she told them she was afraid to be alone.

The infant is currently in protective custody at an Oklahoma City hospital.

The next court date for Silcott and Ferguson is set for August 9. The two could face up to life in prison.

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