A Missouri woman is reportedly being investigated in connection with allegations that she traded her foster child for an exotic monkey.
Brenda Ruth Deutsch, 70, of Lincoln County, was arrested on three felony counts of neglect, child abuse and child endangering stemming from initial allegations of a missing child who was later located in Texas, Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood said in a statement Sunday.
Wood told KSDK on Monday that Deutsch, who he said has fostered more than 200 children throughout her lifetime, is also being investigated in connection with allegations that she traded the child for a monkey.
“A witness who had come forward with some information regarding the systemic abuse that was going on in the home, had said that they had been asked to bring the child down to Texas and bring the monkey back in return,” Wood told the local outlet. “Obviously we have to do more investigation to see if that’s actually credible or if that’s true.”
Wood did not immediately return a request for comment. An attorney for Deutsch was not listed on court documents.
Between September 2022 and January, Deutsch allegedly struck the child in the face that resulted in bleeding, according to a complaint filed Monday. It is unclear how old the child is, but court records indicate she is a teenager below the age of 17.
Deutsch allegedly used a paddle, wooden trim, shoes and an open hand to abuse the teenager, according to a probable cause statement filed in court by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on Monday. The statement added that Deutsch would also give away the teenage girl’s clothes as a form of punishment.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately return requests for comment.
The court records state that Deutsch sent the teenager “to live at a house in Texas with unsanitary living conditions and without adequate supervision” between Jan. 1 and April 1, prompting child protective services to remove the child from the home.
At times, the teen would be left alone at the Texas home to take care of exotic animals living there, according to the documents.
Wood said in a separate statement March 31 that his office is working with officials in Texas “in furtherance of investigative efforts toward allegations of child trafficking.” He added that he expects the case into Deutsch will be a “lengthy investigation that must cover over a decade’s worth of allegations of abuse.”
“This matter is ongoing and we expect more charges to follow as information becomes available,” he wrote. “Numerous victims and witnesses have already contacted my office and I would encourage anyone else with information to continue reaching out to my office, as well as investigators.”
Deutsch’s bond has been set for $250,000.
