Cabell County parents facing child neglect charges

Two Cabell County parents are behind bars facing child neglect charges in connection with a March 2011 incident involving their 12 year old daughter.

West Virginia State Police troopers arrested Michael and Amanda Adkins Friday night in Huntington. The couple was indicted earlier in the week on a charge of child neglect causing risk of injury.

The charges come after a lengthy investigation that began in March 2011 when Child Protective Services (CPS) filed a complaint to the West Virginia State Police against the suspects.

According to the complaint, the parents allegedly told officials their daughter had gotten pregnant in November 2010 and they didn’t know how it happened.

At the time of the complaint in March, officials with the CPS and the State Police Crimes Against Children Unit recommended a DNC procedure be performed to determine paternity.

That surgery occurred on March 16 after the suspects allegedly told officials the juvenile had a miscarriage .

State Police Cpl. Marlene Moore with the Crimes Against Children Unit said eight months after the surgery, she got information from a reliable confidential informant who said the juvenile’s stepmother, Amanda Adkins, had taken the child to get an abortion on March 1.

“They knew she had the abortion and then 15 days later they allowed another surgical procedure and this child to be put under anesthesia for the second time,” said Moore. “That is child neglect with a created risk of injury.”

Custody of the 12 year old girl was taken away from the suspects and she is currently living with other family members, according to Moore.

The investigation is ongoing.