Mother sentenced for keeping child locked in basement

NEWARK - Angel Abram sobbed in a Licking County courtroom Monday as Judge David Branstool told her she was going to prison.

Branstool told Abram that after his time as a lawyer and a judge few cases surprise him, but the case against her did.

"You failed to protect your child," he told her.

Abram, 35, entered a guilty plea to a single count of endangering children, a second-degree felony.

Child allegedly forced to live in basement; 2 charged

Assistant Licking County Prosecutor Paula Sawyers said Abram and her boyfriend, Joshua Bergeron, kept Abram's 6-year-old son in a "dirty, filthy" basement of their Wilson Street home for hours at a time. The 6-year-old was made to eat his meals there, use a toddler potty that he had to empty himself and sleep on a deflated air mattress with a torn blanket.

Sawyers showed Branstool photos of the bedrooms other children had in the home and then the basement.

"He was the forgotten child, the disposable child," she said, while showing Branstool a photo of pictures framed on a wall in the home that did not include the 6-year-old.

Abram's attorney, Kristin Burkett, said Abram was a victim as much as her child. Burkett cited a psychiatric report done prior to a potential trial which diagnosed Abram with Battered Women's Syndrome.

Abram was less culpable than Bergeron, Burkett said, and had told others about the level of discipline exerted on the child, but was unable to leave Bergeron.

"She was not able to get herself out of the situation," Burkett said. "She failed to protect him, we don't disagree with that."

Man sent to prison for keeping child in basement

Sawyers said Abram had ample opportunities to disclose that she was being abused or battered, including time alone with counselors, medical personnel and police. In nearly an inch-thick stack of police reports taken during the time the child was being kept in the basement, there was never a single report of domestic abuse, she said.

"She never reported domestic violence until she was criminally charged with this offense," Sawyers said.

Abram told Branstool she has been in counseling and it "seems to be helping" while promising the behavior would never happen again. Burkett also said the behavior could not happen in the future since it has been made known to school counselors and other public safety agencies.

"This being brought to light and made public would mitigate against it happening again," she said.

Branstool said he did not think the case was "classic Battered Women's Syndrome" and said he didn't understand Abram's behavior.

"It's hard to comprehend how this could happen and you not leave or at least get him out of there," he said. "At what point do you stand up and protect your child? You had many opportunities to do that and you didn't."

Branstool imposed a three-year prison sentence, one year less than Bergeron received. Abram will be required to serve three years of post-release control after her release.