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An American couple charged with torturing a 10-year-old boy they fostered by keeping him barefoot and naked and forcing him to sleep without a mattress have been ruled a flight risk.
Nicholas Spencer and his wife, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both 32, pleaded not guilty after they were charged with aggravated torture of the boy in their care while living in a Kampala suburb.
Police said that the couple would force the boy to spend the day barefoot and naked, would often make him squat in awkward positions – such as his head facing the floor or his hands spread widely – and was only served cold meals from a fridge.
The Spencers would also not let him sleep on a mattress, as authorities said the child ‘spent his nights’ on a wooden platform.
They added: ‘We believe, the victim could have endured more severe acts of torture, away from the camera.’
Nicholas Spencer and his wife, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer with their foster children
An American couple has been accused of having ‘constantly tortured’ a 10-year-old boy they fostered and have been ruled a flight risk
Nicholas Spencer and his wife, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both 32, pleaded not guilty after they were charged with ‘aggravated torture’ of the boy in their care while living in a Kampala suburb
Nicholas Spencer and his wife, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, both 32, stand in the dock at Buganda Road Court, where they were charged with torturing a 10-year old
The couple also face charges of remaining in the country illegally, as their work permits have expired. They have been kept in custody since last Friday.
The couple have three Ugandan children with them under foster care, including the victim, police said.
‘They have no community or family ties in Uganda, and the offence with which they are charged currently is of grave nature attracting a penalty of life imprisonment, therefore their likelihood to abscond from bail is really, really high,’ prosecutor Joan Keko told the court.
The couple’s lawyer Leila Saaliwulide said both people had ailments requiring care which could not be given in prison.
Prosecutor Keko said there was no ailment that could not be treated in prison.
Magistrate Sarah Tumusiime said the couple should remain in jail until she rules on their bail application on December 20.
The couple arrived in Uganda country in 2017 to volunteer at a United States-based non-profit in the town of Jinja before moving to Naguru, an upmarket Kampala suburb, to work at a start-up, police said.
Prior to that, Nicholas Spencer worked for five years as everything from a press assistant to a senior legislative aide to former South Carolina Congressman and now Fox News host Trey Gowdy, according to Spencer’s LinkedIn.
Police urged social workers to constantly monitor the wellbeing of vulnerable children and those in foster homes, saying: ‘What happened to the victim, in the last couple of years, probably could have been prevented, if they had closely monitored the well-being of the foster children.’
The couple also face charges of remaining in the country illegally, as their work permits have expired. They have been kept in custody since last Friday
The couple’s lawyer Leila Saaliwulide said both people had ailments requiring care which could not be given in prison
Magistrate Sarah Tumusiime said the couple should remain in jail until she rules on their bail application on December 20
DailyMail.com has reached out to a press spokesperson for Fox News for comment.
Nicholas Spencer is currently listed as working for MOTIV Uganda, a company that according to its LinkedIn page: ‘Creates a space where makers can refine and scale their businesses to meet the demand for local and international markets. MoTIV provides creatives with the opportunity to access factories, training, a tribe, and a marketplace where brands sell their products.’
The 10-year-old boy attended a school for children with special needs in Kampala, according to Al Jazeera.
The U.S. Embassy acknowledged a Reuters request for details on the case and said it would respond in due course.
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