Off-the-grid parents lose custody of their ten children after the state of Kentucky determined their living conditions were unsafe, and the story goes viral. The off-the-grid couple – Joe and Nicole Naugler – had stopped using the city’s utilities, homeschooled their children and lived in an open cabin.
Kentucky off-the-grid parents lost custody of their ten children after a private custody hearing, and the story has people talking.
On Tuesday, Joe and Nicole Naugler, known as the Kentucky off-the-grid parents, appeared in front of a judge in Breckinridge County, and they learned that they no longer had custody of their ten children.
Authorities deemed the living conditions of the family of almost 13, (Nicole Naugler is pregnant), were dangerous. A neighbor, who did no wish to be identified, called the police because they were worried about some of the unusual activities taking place in the family’s 28-acre homestead.
The clan had no home, lived in what they called an open tent with no running water or electricity and none of the children went to school.
The police attempted to contact the parents, but in vain. The pair refused to talk to them and revealed their children would not be interrogated without a warrant. The police report stated:
“The allegations were that the family was residing in a tent, mother had given birth in a tent, there is no running water or septic, none of the children were enrolled in school and the father threatened the neighbor with a weapon,”
It went on to say:
“Sheriff Pate made contact with the family via telephone who spoke with the father who said a search warrant was the only way the children could be spoken with and Mrs. Naugler contacted SSC at this date, at the request of Sheriff Pate, and she too said no one could speak with the children about the report or come back to the property without a search warrant.”
It has also been revealed that the children had to be physically removed from the homestead. Additionally, the father had threatened a female neighbor with a gun after he tried to take water from her well, and she refused.
Joe Naugler took to Facebook to ask for prayers and blast the system. He wrote:
“Imagine that they take your children and give them to another person, someone who now believes that you are a bad person for the peaceful lifestyle you live. They tell your child that they are safe now, because they are away from you,”
Mr. Naugler added:
“They tell the child that this act of violence was required for their protection. Protection from you. You have no idea when you will ever see your child again, and that decision is left up to someone who believes your lifestyle is a threat to your child.”
The story of the Breckinridge’s off-the-grid parents has sparked a debate online about government intrusion and how to define what’s good for children.
What are your thoughts on the Naugler family?
