Mom on Meth Used Stun Gun on Child Who Wanted Milk: Police

A Kentucky mother is accused of using a stun gun known for producing "intolerable pain" on her 6-year-old son while she was high on drugs.

Mary Cirillo, 26, of Frankfort, has been charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child under the age of 12, according to the Frankfort Police Department (FPD).

Police said Cirillo was taken into custody after reportedly using a Sabre S-1005 Stun Gun on her son last month while she was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana.

The Sabre S-1005, according to the product listing on Sabre's website, is used for quick immobilization of an individual. The stun gun is meant for "extreme stopping power" by emitting "intolerable pain."

Court records did not state whether Cirillo had retained an attorney.

The 6-year-old's condition was unknown at the time of publication.

The investigation began when FPD was contacted by Child Protective Services (CPS) requesting assistance in an ongoing CPS probe. It was reported to the FPD's Special Victims Unit (SVU) that a 6-year-old boy was "being subjected to punishment by means of a "Taser.'" An SVU detective determined that the child had been punished with a stun gun, which is available for commercial and public purchase for use in self-defense, FPD said in a statement provided to Newsweek on Thursday.

Police said that Cirillo used the stun gun on her young son for "misbehaving because he wanted strawberry milk," according to the arrest citation.

The document stated that "on or around July 7," Cirillo used the stun gun on her son's left arm, "causing pain and torture."

The mother, according to the citation, said she estimated that she used the device on the child for about five seconds. However, police said, Cirillo told authorities that she was under the influence of meth and marijuana at the time, and that she "wasn't in the right state of mind."

Cirillo also allowed her boyfriend to use the same stun gun ""to cause cruel and unusual punishment" on her son during an earlier incident on June 30, according to police. She told investigators that the little boy was "misbehaving."

Police said she also told officers that while she and her boyfriend were upset with the little boy, they were not intentionally trying to hurt him.

Cirillo's boyfriend, Ryan Rogers, of Frankfort, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child under the age of 12, FPD said.

Cirillo was booked into Franklin County Regional Jail on July 28 where she is being held on a $20,000 bond, according to court records. She is due back in court for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The criminal investigation is still ongoing, FPD said in the statement, which could result in additional charges being filed against Cirillo and Rogers.

Update 08/05/23, 5:45 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from the FPD.