Decomposing Animals at Couple's Home Leads to Child Abuse Conviction

A couple from Andover, New Jersey, pleaded guilty Friday to child abuse and animal cruelty charges after police say farm animals were in “various states of decomposition” on their property where children lived, Warren County Assistant Prosecutor Michael McDonald said.

Chad Lloyd, 36, and Kimberly Brown, 22, were arrested in early April on various charges when police arrived at their property returning pigs that had run loose in the neighborhood. When police arrived, they found nearly 100 animals dead on the property, many just feet from the home, with hundreds of other animals present.

In addition to the grisly scene of animals on the property, police also found two children, ages 10 and 3, were not receiving enough hot water or heat inside the home.

By each pleading guilty to two counts of child neglect/child abuse, and two different counts of cruelty to animals, Lloyd and Brown will both receive probation under the following conditions: comply with DCP&P and family court; forfeit any and all animals currently in possession; advise SCPA of address changes; restricted from owning, acquiring or controlling any other animals at any premise; random, unannounced house checks from SCPA between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.; and seizure of any animals found to be in their possession.