DeLand Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Child Abuse, Neglect

36-year-old DeLand resident Shawn Stone was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Thursday for alleged child abuse and neglect. He’ll also remain on probation for life as part of his sentencing. Stone pleaded no contest to multiple counts of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment, and witness tampering in a life felony proceeding. His sentence was imposed by Circuit Judge Kathleen McNeilly in Thursday’s hearing. Law enforcement was first made aware of Stone’s alleged activities when his domestic partner, 31-year-old Taylor Schaefer, reported seeing him abuse her five-year-old son. She was said to have seen the abuse through a home surveillance camera while she wasn’t home. In this video, Stone allegedly punched and struck the child with a mop as retribution for wetting the bed. The child’s injuries were severe; he was inspected by Child Protective Services and found to have 46 visible injuries including a fractured skull. On May 9, 2023, the same day Schaefer reported Stone, he was arrested on two dozen criminal charges without bond. An investigation into the couple’s home commenced after Stone’s arrest. This reportedly revealed “a cycle of neglect and abuse of all three children” who resided there, according to prosecutors. The oldest child who lived in the home was interviewed about the situation. Detectives also reviewed further home surveillance footage, revealing that Schaefer allegedly knew about Stone’s abuse for some time without taking action to prevent it. Text messages uncovered in the investigation apparently implicated her as a participant in the abuse and neglect. Schaefer herself was arrested on June 5 on 25 different charges related to the children’s living conditions. In March, Schaefer received a 60-year prison sentence after pleading no contest. “Cases like this ignite the shock, disbelief and anger of any loving parent or caregiver,” said State Attorney R.J. Larizza. “The ongoing vicious abuse caused chronic and profound pain and suffering that no punishment can erase.”