2 Sentenced For Keeping 8-year-old in ‘Abhorrent conditions’ in Ocean County, NJ

Two women have been sentenced for keeping an 8-year-old child in "abhorrent conditions."

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office says on Friday, 41-year-old Helecia Morris of Brick Township was sentenced to eight years in state prison and 57-year-old Donna Jung of Lehigh Acres, FL, was sentenced to seven years, both having been found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child in connection with incidents that occurred in 2015 and 2016.

Morris also received four years behind bars on an unrelated charge of theft and eighteen months for an unrelated charge of shoplifting. These sentences will run concurrent to one another but consecutive to Morris' child endangerment charge.

Authorities say on January 9th, 2016, officers from the Brick Township Police Department and representatives from the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency responded to a home on Queen Ann Road in reference to a wellness check on Morris's biological eight-year-old son.

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Responding officers found the child locked in his room, which reeked of urine, in abhorrent conditions.

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The eight-year-old boy and two other children were removed from the home and were subsequently placed in foster care.

Two days later, Morris and Jung were arrested and then released on bail.

An investigation ... revealed that the eight year-old male victim was locked in his room day and night by Morris and Jung. He was not allowed to use the bathroom in the residence and was excluded from socializing with the rest of the family. The room contained no bed, no furniture, no lights and no toys.

Prosecutor Bradly Billhimer thanked the numerous law enforcement agencies that were involved in this case.