INDIANA COUNTY, Pa. -- A punishment for a 7-year-old Indiana County boy lands a man in court. And Tuesday night his mother is defending the punishment.
Diane Blair's boyfriend, Kenneth Fleegle, is charged with forcing her 7-year-old son to rub feces on himself as a form of punishment.
Outside a district justice's office in Blairsville, WPXI-TV asked the mother to explain why the alleged incident happened while she watched.
Blair said, "I would technically not do it myself, but I would do it a different way."
The incident allegedly happened in the Blairsville house she shared with Fleegle.
Blair faces a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment for allegedly not trying to stop Fleegle.
Blair said, "Just because I didn't stop it, I shouldn't be condemned. You know what I mean?"
Police said it took an hour to get the boy to talk about the incident.
They said he told them Fleegle was mad at him and made him smear feces all over himself.
Fleegle and Blair waved their cases to court.
Police said the boy is living with a foster parent while the case makes it way through the courts.
A neighbor expressed sympathy for the mother and child.
Marlene Bongianino said, "Sometimes I feel sorry for her, but on the other hand, you have to take care of your children."
In a court document, Blairsville police said Fleegle told them he was tired of the little boy "going to the bathroom on the floor where he wasn't supposed to go."
Indiana County Children and Youth Services is handling the case.
Meanwhile, Fleegle is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.
