Couple accused of locking son in dark room, feeding him only carrots, due in court

EAGLE MOUNTAIN, Utah -- (KSTU) -- A Utah County couple is due in court Thursday, accused of locking their son in the basement and forcing him to eat only carrots.

Investigators claim 31-year-old Brett Tobiasson and his 27-year-old wife, Clarissa, would lock their 6-year-old boy in a dark unfinished room in their house for hours on end.

They both face a charge of child abuse.

“The boy described that he would go to the bathroom while in the room and put the waste in a hole in a wall so he would not get in trouble,” court documents state.

Investigators allege the boy “was fed a diet that consisted largely of carrots.”

“He would be required to eat carrots before every meal and if he did not finish them with a certain time limit he would not be allowed to eat the rest of the meal,” the documents state. “In another instance he was disciplined for eating samples at a local store when he knew he was supposed to eat carrots before eating anything else.”