Man Charged With Shocking Two Girls With Dog Collar

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office has charged a man from Crestview with two counts of felony child abuse in connection with reports he used a dog shock collar to punish two young girls.

Michael Lee Mitchell, who is 28-years old, was taken into custody following an investigation into reports he punished an eight-year old girl by making her do extreme physical activity, called "suicides", until she vomited. In an interview with the child, she told investigators Mitchell also would put a dog shock collar on one of her arms after first threatening to put it around her neck. If she stopped running, Mitchell would shock her until she began running again.

Investigators from the Sheriff's Office and Department of Children & Families also learned that on at least one occasion, Mitchell forced the girl to run alongside his vehicle for at least three miles. In addition, Mitchell said he had placed the shock collar around a four year old girl's waist and shocked her for bad behavior as well.

Mitchell admitted to investigators the punishment was "extreme and over the edge". Mitchell was transported to the Okaloosa County Jail in Crestview.