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WEST HAVEN, Weber County — Three members of a West Haven family are facing formal criminal charges in the death of a 12-year-old boy who suffered from severe malnutrition.
Shane Jesse Peterson, 46, Nichole Lea Scott, 50, and Tyler Shane Peterson, 21, were each charged Friday in 2nd District Court with child abuse homicide, a first-degree felony; and two counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. Both Tyler Peterson and Scott also face additional charges of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. Scott was charged with two counts and Peterson with one.
Shane Peterson and Scott were also each charged with child endangerment, a third-degree felony. Scott is facing an additional charge of drug possession, a class A misdemeanor.
The trio are accused of each playing a role in the death of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson. Doctors who examined Gavin's body after his death say he "showed malnutrition to the point the child's internal organs had shut down completely. The child's body was visibly emaciated," according to charging documents.
The investigation began when emergency responders were called to the Peterson home on July 9.
"The caller indicated that the child had been ill for several days, experiencing vomiting, and was now not breathing," charging documents state.
Shane Peterson and Scott also told medical crews that Gavin had been experiencing seizures, but they did not take him to a doctor, the charges state.
Gavin was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police searching the phones of Shane Peterson and Nichole Scott, Gavin's father and stepmother, and Tyler Peterson, his older brother, found conversations between the three that discussed abuse, including beatings, the charges allege.
"When talking about feeding the child victim the three suspects talk about only giving the child one-third of a cup of water, only giving him a piece of bread and mustard, or not feeding him food at all. All of this messaging and evidence revealed a prolonged pattern of abuse over the course of several years," charging documents state.
The Weber County School District issued a statement Friday saying that Gavin had withdrawn from school at the start of the last school year, in August 2023.
"The student had previously attended school in our district during the 2022-23 school year. At the start of last school year, the student was withdrawn from school by a guardian who completed an affidavit for homeschool. This essentially ended our contact with the student and terminated any authority the district had related to their education."
The district also noted that "prior to the student being withdrawn from the district, multiple complaints were filed by school employees with the Utah Division of Child and Family Services related to suspected abuse and neglect of this child."
Counselors are being made available to any student or school employee "who have been affected by this horrific tragedy," the district said.
A spokeswoman for the Division of Child and Family Services says privacy laws prevent the agency from talking about any specific case. However, the agency noted that "the loss of any child impacts and devastates us. This is tragic for so many from the family and the community to all of those involved. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services works with children and families during some of their most vulnerable moments.
"Utah law requires any person with reason to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect to make a report to DCFS or a local law enforcement agency. You can contact the 24/7 abuse and neglect hotline at 1-855-323-3237 or file an online report at www.dcfs.utah.gov/child-protective-services," the agency stated.
Family members have established a GoFundMe* account to help pay for funeral expenses for Gavin, who was described as "such a happy kid, with a ready smile for everyone."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
Help with Children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
