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PROVO — A Provo couple accused of chaining their autistic daughter to a bed for several hours each day is now facing formal charges.
Benjamin Ammon Sorensen, 45, and Emily Sorensen, 40, were each booked into the Utah County Jail on Tuesday and charged Thursday in 4th District Court with abuse or neglect of a child with a disability, a third-degree felony.
On Tuesday, Provo police were called to meet with case workers from the Division of Child and Family Services regarding the Sorensens, who had "chained their 8-year-old autistic daughter to a bed," according to a police booking affidavit.
Police learned that caseworkers had previously received a report of the daughter being "chained up," and that the parents "had signed agreements … not to do that anymore," the affidavit alleges.
But when an officer arrived at the Sorensen home, "I observed the victim on the top bunk of the bunk bed in the living room with a chain around her ankle. I told Benjamin to unchain her, and he initially rebutted but then pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the padlock," the affidavit states.
Charging documents state that "there was about 20 inches of slack in the chain, which would have left the child dangling above the floor if she fell out of the bed. There were chain impressions left on the child's ankle. The defendants both admitted that they chain the child to the bed for hours at a time because otherwise she 'gets into things and 'isn't safe.'"
When questioned, Benjamin Sorensen stated that "every night for the last three months, approximately, he would chain (his daughter) to the bed by the ankle from the approximate hours of 8:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. He also stated that sometimes when both he and Emily are gone he would leave (the daughter) chained to the bed but would leave a key with their 13-year-old daughter. During these times (the daughter) is mostly left unsupervised while chained," according to the affidavit.
There were four other children in the home at the time, the charges states.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with Children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
