Salem, Oregon resident Todd Marcum, whose name we will use repeatedly because of the nature of his crime, has been arrested for maliciously abusing his four young children with an electric dog collar.
According to police lieutenant Dave Okada, Marcum admitted that Marcum shocked his children, aged 3, 6, 8, and 9, “because he thought it was funny.”
Marcum told police that he would chase the 3-year-old boy around with the collar, making him cry at the thought of being shocked. Okada said that because of the boy’s behavior, it is likely that the children were shocked more than once.
The collars, being powered by a nine-volt battery, are not strong enough to actually injure a child (or a dog), but that’s no excuse for this jackass’s behavior. Marcum is currently in jail in Salem on four charges of first-degree criminal mistreatment, and we hope he stays there. [Statesman Journal]
