Mo. parents allegedly performed circumcision on son at home with 'utility tool'

MORGAN COUNTY, Mo. (TCN) -- A married couple face child abuse charges for circumcising their son at home despite having no medical background or expertise.

According to the probable cause statement, on Nov. 28 at 8:11 a.m., the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a Department of Family Services case worker who said a child was brought to Columbia University Hospital due to a circumcision at home that "did not go as planned." The child’s parents, Tyler Gibson and Bailey Gibson, reportedly took the boy to Lake Regional Hospital on the night of Nov. 27 and he was transferred to University Hospital, but they left after four hours because they "grew tired of waiting."

A Morgan County detective went to the Gibsons' home and spoke with them about the situation. Tyler Gibson told the detective he was not medically trained, but he "conducted research and prayed a blessing" before the operation. He reportedly used a "utility tool" to perform the circumcision, and he "placed pads to catch the blood and sterilized the blade."

The court document says Gibson "wasn’t prepared for the amount of bleeding," so he and his wife took the boy to the hospital.

Bailey Gibson admitted to helping her husband, though she was "very hesitant and unsure about performing the procedure." She reportedly did not respond when the detective asked why they did it anyway.

Tyler Gibson informed the detective that the blade he used was in his room on top of a frame, but the detective could not find it when he searched the home.

Bailey Gibson and Tyler Gibson were arrested on charges of abuse or neglect of a child, while Tyler Gibson is also being charged with unauthorized practice of medicine or surgery. Court records show they both bonded out of jail.

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