A Kentucky couple faces a series of charges, including child abuse. The duo did not feel that their young child’s homework was satisfactory. Instead of helping the child make things better, Ricky and Nichole North allegedly chose punishment. And that punishment was extreme and potentially fatal.
Thankfully, the child is out of their care and hopefully will never return to them. Now, they’ve been arrested and could possibly be facing prison time.
According to a statement shared on Facebook by the Middlesboro Police Department, Ricky and Nichole North abused Ricky’s 5-year-old son “on numerous occasions.” The statement reveals that the couple was arrested on March 30, 2025.
Police allege that the couple duct-taped the boy’s arms and legs and punished him with cold showers. Additionally, they reportedly punched, slapped, choked, and body-slammed the boy. All of this abuse occurred allegedly because the 5-year-old was “coloring outside the lines on his homework,” the statement said.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, police also claim that the couple held the child up by the ankles. They reportedly proceeded to slam his head against the ground multiple times.
In addition, the boy was “subjected to torture, cruel confinement, and cruel punishment while in their care,” the police said in the statement. Charges for Ricky and Nichole North include criminal abuse, tampering with physical evidence, strangulation, and failure to report child dependent neglect/abuse.
Public records People obtained show that the couple is being held at Bell County Detention Center in lieu of $100,000 bond. According public records, the couple has yet to enter a plea. This investigation is ongoing.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
