Kidnapping charges added against couple accused in teen abuse case

Additional charges have been filed against two people already facing allegations of leaving a teen left locked in a bathroom naked and unfed in Baxter County.
41-year-old Daniel Alan Wright and 42-year-old Jaclyn Barnett now each face charges of kidnapping. The pair had previously been charged with first-degree imprisonment, along with one count each of endangering the welfare of a minor and permitting child abuse.

Under Arkansas law kidnapping is defined as follows: A person commits the offense of kidnapping if, without consent, the person restrains another person so as to interfere substantially with the other person’s liberty.

Under the law the charge of kidnapping is a class Y felony the most serious crime in Arkansas not punishable by the death penalty.

Authorities say Barnett, who had guardianship of the victim and is identified as the teen’s maternal aunt, and Wright are accused of keeping the boy confined under abusive conditions.

State Representative Ryan Rose during recent legistlative hearings called the allegations “deeply disturbing,” saying, “The people who did this are monsters and their actions are evil.”

A jury trial for the couple is set for November 10, and both remain free on $50,000 bond.

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