Claysburg Couple Charged with Child Endangerment

A Claysburg couple is facing child endangerment charges after an investigation by Greenfield Township police.

According to the criminal compliant, on Feb. 22, police were called to the home Joseph M. Gillam, 54, and Rebekah E. Gillam. 38, to investigate the suspected abuse of three minor children.

Police said the children were interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center where police said they spoke of the alleged abuse at the hands of Joseph Gillam.

According to police, the children told investigators that Rebekah Gillam suffers from seizures, forcing one of the juveniles to do most of the cooking. One of the juveniles said that Rebekah has a portable toilet in the living room because she doesn’t go upstairs, and that Joseph sometimes uses it, too. Police said the juveniles were made to take the portable toilet upstairs after school to empty and clean it. All three said Rebekah does not cook, clean, or do laundry and that those chores are done by them.

Police said the children told investigators that Joseph sleeps, gets up and watches television and checks his emails and plays on his phone and then goes back to sleep.

In detailing the alleged abuse by Joseph, police said the children told them that Joseph struck one of the children in the ribs with a crossbow and that he was in pain for most of the day. Police said the children told Rebekah about the incident, but nothing was done about it and neither Rebekah or Joseph sought medical treatment for the child.

Police said another incident involved Joseph pushing one of the kids over the back of the couch and threw another one into a wall. Police said one of the kids told them that Joseph threw a screwdriver at him with such force that it stuck into the wall.

When police interviewed Rebekah, she allegedly told them that she only has a fourth-grade education and suffers from seizures. Police said Rebekah told them that she cannot use the bathroom or do laundry because both facilities are upstairs and that if she tries to go upstairs, she will have a seizure. Police said Rebekah admitted the children are the one’s who empty the portable toilet.

Police said Rebekah told them that she awakens every morning at 6 a.m. to make sure the kids are up for school and then goes back to sleep until her home health aid arrives to help her bathe and takes her out of the house. When asked about the alleged abuse of the kids by Joseph, she said that Joseph does the disciplining and admitted that he had struck the kids with a cane and has hit them with other objects.

When police interviewed Joseph, he told them that his days consist of getting up, checking his email, taking his medication and watching television. Police said he told them that he sometimes picks the kids up from school, eats supper, watches more television, and goes to bed.

Police said Joseph denied striking the kids with a cane or crossbow. Police said Joseph told them that he goes upstairs to use the bathroom unless his COPD is acting up and then he uses the portable toilet and that the kids clean it out.

Police said Joseph told them that the kids do the cooking, cleaning, and laundry because he has a health condition that prevents him from doing household chores. Police said he admitted to pushing one of the kids over the couch because they did something he didn’t like while they were cleaning. He also allegedly admitted to throwing a clothes basket at the kids.

Police said Joseph admitted to making the kids wash all the dishes because the ones they had already washed “were not done right.” Police said Joseph denied hitting the kids with a cane or throwing anything at them but admitted to throwing a potholder at them from the living room into the kitchen because “that’s where he wanted it.” Police said Joseph eventually admitted to hitting the children and “tapping” them with a cane.

Both Joseph Gillam and Rebekah Gillam were arraigned by Martinsburg Magisterial District Judge Andrew Blattenberger on multiple felony charges of endangering the welfare of children and released on $30,000 cash bail. Both face preliminary hearings on April 7, in front of Blattenberger.