Dad punished kids with electric cattle prod, OH officials say. He pleads guilty
An Ohio man accused of using an electric cattle prod on his kids as punishment has pleaded guilty, court records show.
The 35-year-old man pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic violence in Erie County Court, records show.
McClatchy News is not naming the man to protect the identity of the kids.
According to court records, between Feb. 1 and May 12, 2024, the man used an electric cattle prod on three children as punishment in Florence Township.
“This device is probably a pole three feet long with two probes on either end. It has a button and when you push the button it delivers a shock between the 2 probes,” Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth told WHIO. “(He) did make some admissions to using that instrument to discipline his children. It’s terrible. I don’t know what would compel someone to think they could use a device like this with kids. I’m kind of bewildered really that someone would think that would be appropriate.”
Sigsworth told WKYC two of the children were 7 and 8 years old.
The man is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 11.
Florence Township is about a 45-mile drive southwest of Cleveland.
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Dad punished kids with electric cattle prod, OH officials say. He pleads guilty."
