LEHIGH ACRES, Fla.- Two people are accused of using a handheld stun gun on four children as a form of discipline, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday.
Joshua Pierre Louis, 28, and Roxanne Paduani, 33, are facing charges of child cruelty.
On Tuesday, the Department of Children and Families received a tip regarding the child abuse, authorities said.
When officials began investigating, they discovered Louis and Paduani were using the stun gun as a tool to deter the children from misbehaving.
Paduani told detectives she and Louis own a stun gun and spark it to warn the kids but denied touching the children with it, according to her arrest report.
However, the same report says the children told authorities Louis and Paduani shocked them when they were doing “bad things” such as screaming or making a mess.
The stun gun left behind visible marks on two of the children, officials said. One of the kids had scars on the stomach, while another had marks on the upper chest.
Both Louis and Paduani were arrested and transported to the Lee County jail.
The children are staying with relatives, the Department of Children and Families confirmed.