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Shocking California child abuse case hits close to home for Detroit man

Posted at 6:22 PM, Jan 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-19 18:22:42-05

The story broke on Sunday when a 17-year-old girl escaped and called 911. Investigators found her and her 12 siblings had been starved, denied access to the bathroom for months at a time, and shackled to their beds in their California home.  It is alleged abuse that sounds eerily familiar to Curtis Miller Jr.  

“The only difference was they had each other to comfort each other and I was all by myself,” said Curtis.

7 Action News met Curtis at the home where he lives with his dad and adoptive mom.  

“You see that story and immediately my husband and I flash back to when we first saw CJ.,” said Missy Parker-Miller.

“I know the pain and I know what I went through with my son.  That is devastating and it just took me back,” said Curtis Miller, Curtis’ dad.

Curtis Junior’s nightmare started when his biological mother moved to Escanaba to hide him from his dad, took him out of school, and with her new boyfriend, forced him to live in an attic.

He was starved, often duct taped to a chair and not allowed to use the bathroom when he needed to.

“His soul was so broken that we didn’t think he was going to be able to come back and deal with basic things,” said Curtis’ dad.

With years of support, love, and patience, Curtis has healed. Despite years away from school, he graduated from high school last year and plans to go to college.

Curtis, his dad, and adoptive mom want the children rescued in California to know, with support from others there is hope.

“It is going to be a 24-hour, 7-day a week job and that person has to be there showing them love and understanding and kindness because if they don’t they aren’t going to make it. I can tell you that right now,” said Curtis’ dad.

“Children are very resilient. That is the awesome thing,” said Curtis’ adoptive mom.

“I know what they went through. I went through it for 7 years. It was hell at first, but at eventually the lord is going to be like, okay let me let you learn the right way and I will help you heal,” said Curtis.

Curtis says he hopes sharing his story helps other victims of abuse.  In the meantime his biological mother and her boyfriend are serving up to 50 year prison sentences for what they did to him.