Dad pleads guilty to locking kid in dog cage
Datetime:2012-05-03 Hits:
The Cincinnati father who was accused of locking his daughter in a dog cage has plead guilty.
James Tapke, 41, was jailed back in January after it was reported that he restrained his daughter's hands and feet using duct tape, then locked her in a large dog cage.
According to court documents, while she was in the cage, Tapke dropped small amounts of water on her face.
Police were alerted after a concerned parent saw photos of the girl in the cage on Facebook and called the Hamilton County department of Job and Family Services.
Police say the girl was in the cage for about 20 minutes until her brother let her out. She then retaliated against her father by pouring water on her father's head and in his ear.
Tapke then bound his daughter again with duct tape and put her back in the cage. Police say he had his son get an electrical jumper pack from the garage and threatened to electrify the cage so she couldn't escape again.
Tapke eventually let his daughter out of the cage, and her grandmother helped her get the duct tape off.
Tapke plead guilty to attempted unlawful restraint. He is scheduled to serve 30 days in jail.
