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Left: Taylor Schaefer. Right: Shawn Stone (Volusia County Sheriff”s Office).
In a chilling case that has drawn attention and outrage, a Florida mother will be spending several decades in prison after allowing her boyfriend to brutally abuse her young son. Taylor Schaefer, 30, was sentenced to 60 years behind bars after pleading no contest to multiple charges, including aggravated child abuse, conspiracy to commit child neglect with great bodily harm, and failing to report child abuse, as reported by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The horrific series of events came to light in May 2023. Schaefer, suspecting her boyfriend, 35-year-old Shawn M. Stone, was inflicting harm on her then 5-year-old son, reviewed home surveillance footage. This confirmed her fears, prompting her to contact law enforcement. However, as the investigation unfolded, authorities discovered that Schaefer had been present during much of the abuse and had neither stopped it nor sought help for her son.
Police reports reveal the extent of the abuse, noting that the boy often appeared injured and limping in Schaefer’s presence without receiving any medical attention. Disturbing video evidence showed the child being beaten, handcuffed for extended periods, and confined in a dog cage. Moreover, he was subjected to harsh punishment through the deprivation of food.
This case underscores the tragic consequences of neglect and the responsibilities adults have to protect the vulnerable, especially when they are as defenseless as a young child. The sentence handed down to Schaefer reflects the severity of her inaction and complicity in these harrowing acts of abuse.
“On several occasions the boy was visibly injured and limping in her presence, but received no care or medical attention. Video showed he was not only beaten, but repeatedly left with his hands bound behind his back for hours at a time,” deputies wrote. “The victim was also tied up, placed in a dog cage and often punished via deprivation of food.”
Stone is charged with aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm. His case is ongoing and he remains in the Volusia County Jail without bond. He was arrested on May 9, 2023, after he allegedly beat the boy with a mop handle and also punched and kicked the child before he fled from cops on a four-wheeler.
Cops then collected video from inside the home.
As Law&Crime previously reported, footage showed the boy bound with his hands behind his back for hours at a time in the days leading up to the Stone’s arrest, deputies said.
In another incident, his hands were tied behind his back from 6:43 p.m. through the night and into the next day at 2:02 p.m., authorities claim.
“On another occasion, his legs, feet, arms and torso were bound for at least an hour while Stone stood over him,” deputies said.
There was also footage that showed moments in which Stone yelled and kicked the already bruised and injured boy, according to the sheriff’s office. Schaefer would enter the picture and tell the child to stand up straight. The video also revealed that the sounds of the abuse reverberated throughout the home.
That 5-year-old sustained dozens of injuries, deputies said, with doctors noting that at least 46 of those injuries were visible. The boy also suffered internal injuries, including a fractured skull.
Deputies noted two other victims, including a child who was allegedly forced to ingest scalding hot liquid.
“It was also determined that another child in the home was forced to drink boiling water, sprayed with boiling water, and beaten with several household objects,” law enforcement said. “That child also witnessed the brutal abuse inflicted on the younger victim.”
In addition to watching the younger victim’s abuse, a third child in the residence did not get proper nutrition or care for a serious medical condition, authorities said.
The kids were taken from the residence and placed in what deputies called a “safe environment.”
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood shared a link to a GoFundMe campaign to support the children.
“The torture these kids endured is hard to imagine,” he said. “The good news is they’re in safe hands now, and their scumbag abusers will have to answer for what they did.”