Henderson parents accused of keeping boy with autism in cage plead guilty to child neglect

Misty Scanlan, 46, and Jeffery Scanlan, 41, initially faced two felony counts of child abuse, neglect or endangerment after they were arrested in April, court records show. They both pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of child neglect or endangerment during a court hearing Wednesday in front of District Judge Jessica Peterson.

According to an arrest report, officers from the Henderson and Clark County School District police departments showed up at the family home after the Scanlans’ four children hadn’t attended classes for several days. At the home, police found a 11-year-old boy with autism locked inside a “makeshift jail cell” and wearing only a diaper, while the rest of the house smelled like feces and was in “extreme disarray,” the report said.

Attorney Robert Draskovich, who represents Misty and Jeffery Scanlan, said that the boy was in a “barrier to keep him from going outside,” and not necessarily a “cage.”

“It didn’t appear the conduct was as egregious as initially thought,” Draskovich said, adding that the boy was put in a “structure” designed to keep him from hurting himself.

Draskovich said that as part of the guilty plea agreement, he expects his clients to be sentenced to probation not to exceed a year.

“There was no ill intent on their part, they just got in a little over their heads,” Draskovich said.

According to the police report, Jeffery Scanlan told police that the boy “can be very aggressive when he wants something.” When asked why they hadn’t sought resources for their children with autism, he told police that their school had directed them to do so, but that they didn’t know where to start. Misty Scanlan told police that programs didn’t accept their health insurance.

A sentencing hearing in the case is scheduled for March 12.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240.