Man indicted on numerous charges following Albion child abuse case: Report

ALBION, N.Y. — A man at the center of what Oswego County deputies have described as one of the county’s worst-ever child abuse cases has been formally indicted on a slew of charges, according to Oswego County News Now.

Shawn Whaley, 24, initially faced a single assault charge for his alleged role in what deputies said was repeated, grueling abuse of a 10-year-old girl. Deputies said at the time of the arrests in late August that more charges were likely.

Whaley is now facing 13 charges, including six felonies, for allegedly subjecting the girl to abuse, the Oswego news outlet reported. He’s accused of dragging her behind a vehicle on long walks aimed at curbing her behavior, dousing all her food in hot sauce, beating her with a screwdriver and other alleged abuse, according to the sheriff’s office.

Other defendants in the abuse case — Gary Bubis, 37, Brandy Shaver, 18, Leslieann Raeder, 34 — all lived at the home at 393 Albion Cross Road. They were indicted last week on similar charges.

The group is accused of putting the child in risk of serious physical injury by duct-taping and/or zip-tying the child’s legs and arms against her will. Duct tape was placed over the child’s mouth. Hot sauce was inserted in the girl’s mouth through a small hole in the duct tape, according to court documents.

That was in addition to alleged beatings that started in April, deputies said.

The girl was beaten with fists, feet and a “beating stick,” which was a rolled-up newspaper wrapped in electrical tape, deputies said. She was forced to spend her days working outside and eat a single meal that was doused with hot sauce, deputies said.

During her days spent laboring outside, the girl was not allowed to bathe, deputies said. She was deprived of water and was not allowed to go to the bathroom, deputies said.

Whaley, in a statement to deputies, also said he would discipline the girl for being “mouthy” and lazy by taking her to Happy Valley Wildlife Management Area and driving behind the girl.

At least twice, he trained the car’s headlights on her as she carried heavy, clothes-filled backpacks for miles and miles, according to statements filed by deputies.

During the first walk, the girl said Whaley hit her with the car — knocking her over.

During the second walk, the girl said, she ran with bags weighing down her back and shoulders. When she didn’t sprint fast enough, the girl said, Whaley tied a white rope around her waist.

In one of these walks, she was tied to the back of the vehicle with a rope and dragged behind the car, deputies said.

Shortly after the second walk, the girl escaped from the home and ran to a nearby neighbor’s house. There she recounted the alleged abuse, and deputies quickly arrested them.

Whaley is Shaver’s boyfriend. Shaver is the sister of Gary Bubis, the boyfriend of Leslieann Raeder, who is the girl’s mother.

A fifth adult, Jessica Edwards, was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the case. Edwards, 21, of Williamstown, was charged Oct. 17, according Oswego County Sheriff’s Office records.