Jan 5, 2018 2 min read

A South Franklin Township woman was arraigned Thursday on assault and other charges filed against her by state police after ligature marks allegedly were found around the ankles of her 1-year-old son last April.

Shelbee Maureen Corey, 21, of 896 Mounts Road, turned herself in Thursday morning for arraignment before District Judge David Mark on charges of unlawful restraint, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment.

State police were contacted in October by a woman who identified herself as the paternal grandmother of the boy. She reportedly told police the assault happened in April, but nothing was done.

The grandmother also reportedly told Trooper Joseph Ross she gave a Washington County Children and Youth Services caseworker a photo of the boy’s ankles that was taken in April.

The photo reportedly was provided by a cousin who attended the boy’s birthday party at Belvedere Acres in Canton Township.

The grandmother told police she became involved in the boy’s life when he was 13 months old, the point at which Corey reportedly told the woman’s son he was the child’s biological father.

The grandmother told police she started looking after the boy for a few days at a time and noticed he had scars on his ankles. When she asked Corey about the marks, the South Franklin woman reportedly blamed tight socks.

Ross also talked with the cousin, who reportedly had been given the same explanation.

The boy was taken to A Child’s Place for a physical exam.

The doctor who examined him said there was no way that socks could have caused the marks. She said the marks were on the outside of the ankles and involved skin breakdown. Photographs from April until October showed the marks were slowly fading, police said.

When interviewed by Ross, Corey reportedly denied doing anything to cause the marks on her son’s ankles and blamed tight socks.

She also allegedly blamed the marks on her live-in boyfriend at the time, but he told police the marks were on the boy’s ankles when he returned home from work.

Corey was released on $100,000 unsecured bond. She is scheduled for a Jan. 30 preliminary hearing before Mark.