How Could You? Hall of Shame-Clifford and Dixie Short

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Lee County,Alabama, foster parents Clifford and Dixie Short,”[have] been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse of a child in their care.

Sheriff Jay Jones calls the case beyond disturbing and says it underscores the importance of his school resource deputies, who are dedicated to protecting kids in and out of school.

A Lee County grand jury indicted Clifford and Dixie Short, couple for aggravated child abuse towards a child in their custody.

The couple was arrested last week. Sheriff Jones says in April 2014, a school resource deputy began to suspect the child was being abused. The deputy interacted with the 14-year-old child through the deputy’s work at the child’s school.

“They had a sense there was some issue there, some problem to the detriment of this child and as a result it was found indeed there were some circumstances that were completely inappropriate as far as discipline of the child and nutritional issues, it led to a further investigation by our investigative division and the recent indictments by the grand jury,” Sheriff Jones said.

Jones won’t go into specifics of the alleged abuse, but says the teen was removed from Short’s home at the start of the investigation and is now living in a safe place.

Alabama DHR can’t comment on the specific case, but tells us anytime a foster care parent is under investigation, all foster children are removed from their home.

Meanwhile, the couple has posted $15,000 bonds and are slated to be arraigned in court on April 20.”

 

EXCLUSIVE: Lee Co. couple indicted for child abuse [WTVM 2/5/16 by Elizabeth White]

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