Stepmom jailed for forcing young stepson to live in dog cage

A North Carolina mom who forced her 9-year-old stepson to live outside in a dog cage in freezing conditions has been jailed by a judge who said the case will “haunt” him.

Sarah Starr, 30, on Tuesday was sentenced to nine to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to abusing the boy, who was rarely fed while being locked up outside in 28-degree temperatures, WFMY reported.

“I’ve never seen or experienced something quite so horrific,” Superior Court Judge Richard Gottlieb told her, even though he has “seen murders and rapes” and “horrific abuses.”

“As a parent, I am horrified. I am speechless,” Gottlieb told Starr, who also poured water in the defenseless boy’s face as punishment.

“This will haunt me for the rest of my judicial career.”

Starr was arrested in October 2022 along with her aunt and the boy’s dad after Lexington police were tipped off about the boy being padlocked inside the cage.

The boy was left with some clothing, but “not enough to sustain warmth for this child,” Sheriff Richie Simmons said at the time. He also was seldom fed — and then only spicy food to punish him, according to the outlet.

In one instance, Starr grabbed her stepson’s head, yanked it back and poured water on his face as punishment, WFMY reported, citing court documents.

Starr pleaded guilty to three felony counts of negligent child abuse inflicting serious mental and emotional injury, and two felony counts of child abuse inflicting serious physical injury, the report said.

Social services officials removed the child, along with an infant, a 4-year-old and two elementary-age children who all lived at the hellish home.

Star’s aunt, Shelley Lucille Barnes, has pleaded guilty to two felony counts of negligent child abuse, Law and Crime reported. She was sentenced to a minimum of 7 1/2 years in prison.

The status of the accusations against the boy’s father, Jonathan Starr — who was also hit with felony child abuse charges — was unclear.

Since being rescued from the home, the boy has been living in California with a grandparent and is “thriving,” WFMY reported. The other children also are living elsewhere.