RICHLANDS, Va. A 41-year-old woman has been charged with abduction and cruelty toward a special needs student at Richlands Elementary School.
The charges come after multiple allegations of mistreatment involving a 5-year-old male student.
According to the Richlands Police Department, Jessica McCoy, a Richlands resident, is accused of assaulting the young student and committing acts of abduction in connection with his treatment.
Authorities revealed that McCoy allegedly taped the student to a desk for a prolonged period during the week of February 4 through February 7, in a self-contained special education classroom.
The disturbing allegations first came to light on February 7 when a school employee reported the incident to the Department of Social Services.
Following this report, the Richlands Police Department launched an investigation on February 10.
Investigators from both the Richlands Police Department and the Tazewell County Sheriff's Office conducted interviews with witnesses and employees of Tazewell County Schools to gather information.
As a result of the investigation, McCoy has been charged with two counts of abduction and two counts of cruelty to a child.
She is currently being held without bond as the investigation continues.
The Richlands Police Department, along with the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, is actively working on the case, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation unfolds.
In a statement posted to their official Facebook page, Tazewell County Public Schools expressed concern for the safety of their students, saying, "Tazewell County Public Schools places the safety of our children above all other concerns.
Therefore, we immediately reported this incident to Child Protective Services. All employees involved in this incident have been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation by CPS.
We cannot comment further on personnel matters."
This case continues to develop, and authorities urge anyone with further information to come forward.
Stay with BTW21 for more updates on this ongoing story.