New details have emerged about a young boy from Florida who drowned in a bathtub.
Six-year-old Anthony Rouse’s death on April 22 revealed horrifying instances of abuse. The boy’s stepfather was alleged to have dunked his head underwater prior to the fatal event. Alize Seymore and Tre Seymore, the child’s mother and stepfather, have since been charged with numerous counts of child abuse and witness tampering.
Prior to his death, Anthony had been subjected to severe mistreatment, including confinement in a dog cage and indications of other forms of torture.
Anthony’s biological father, Andre Rouse, had been embroiled in a custody battle for his son, and the tragic incident has left him in despair. In a shocking revelation, a 10-year-old boy living in the same Polk County home admitted to authorities that he and his siblings were encouraged to physically harm Anthony.
The young witness related an account of Tre submerging Anthony’s head in the bathtub, an act that ultimately led to police involvement.
The affidavits said that the abuse wasn’t limited to physical attacks, but included instances of confinement, like locking the children in a room. The room, filled with clothes stained with urine and feces and without electricity, represented another example of the cruelty inflicted on the children.
The investigation has been transferred from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to the State Attorney’s Office, with the expectation of additional charges against the Seymores.
Andre Rouse opened up about his distress, shedding light on his ongoing custody battle with Alize, Anthony’s mother. Alize had previously been implicated in a Department of Children and Families case, causing Anthony to spend the early part of his life in state custody. Andre had sole custody of Anthony from ages two to five, but Anthony was later moved to live with Alize after Andre served jail time for a domestic violence conviction from a past relationship. Andre highlighted the detrimental effects this sudden transition had on Anthony, who often expressed a wish to live with his father again during phone calls.
Deeply saddened by his son’s hospitalization and subsequent death, Andre called on others to report any suspicions or signs of child abuse to prevent future tragedies. He stressed the importance of voicing concerns before it becomes too late.
