Report: Jacksonville man, woman arrested for child abuse, using soap in mouth as discipline

Jessica Prather and Timothy Ward 

A Jacksonville man and woman face charges of child abuse after police said they disciplined their children with dish soap.

At about 9 p.m. June 13, a police officer responded to a home to assist the Florida Department of Children and Families.

According to the police report, a witness that had been renting a room at the home for several months said Jessica Lee Prather, 32, and Timothy Ward,30, verbally abused the children.

The witness said she saw Prather and Ward cursed at the children and drag them across the floor by the arm.

She said she saw Prather and Ward hold down the children while hitting them with flip-flops and hair brushes.

They would also discipline the children by putting bars of soap in the children's mouth, according to the police report. The witness said one of the children had an allergic reaction to the soap.

The report said the child's lips swelled.

The report also said Ward and Prather had used Ajax dish soap as punishment on several occasions.

Ward and Prather were arrested and taken to jail July 11.