By David Lohr

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October 13, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Crime Library)  — A father has been charged with imprisoning his nine-year-old son and is now being held on $1 million bail.  Randall Piercy, 41, was taken into custody Wednesday evening after authorities were alerted he was holding his son prisoner in his bedroom.  According to police reports, relatives told authorities Piercy controlled every aspect of the boy's life, including lights, bathroom breaks, and eating habits.

"It appears the Piercy home was a prison.  The child has never attended school, has no friends, and had not received medical attention," said Annie Smith, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

The room the boy was kept in was secured with a heavy-duty locking system and was monitored by one of several video cameras, which were mounted throughout the house.  Authorities quickly placed the child in protective custody and charged his father with aggravated child abuse and torture.  Piercy's wife, Michelle Piercy, has not been arrested, but she is under investigation. 

An 18-year-old man who said he was Randall Piercy's son Jacob told News 4 Jax. Com that he ran away from home because his father subjected him to abuse:

"I was only allowed to eat at certain times. I wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom without his permission. I wasn't allowed to do anything outside the home," Jacob said. "We had a monitor system through the whole house and anytime I wanted to do anything like go to the bathroom or get a drink, I had to page him and ask him 'yes or no?'"

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Contact  David Lohr at           pa_crime_writer@velocity.net

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