An Ohio father who used an electric cattle prod to punish his young children has been sentenced to six years in prison after a judge heard disturbing accounts of the fear and abuse the children endured inside their own home.
Robert Bores received the maximum prison sentence Thursday, November 12, after pleading guilty to two felony counts of domestic violence in Erie County Common Pleas Court.
The children, who were just 8 and 9 years old during the incidents described at sentencing, revealed that Bores shocked them with the device, chased them around the house and punished them for ordinary childhood mistakes, including failing to put away laundry.
Judge Roger Binette described how the cattle prod, a device intended to control large livestock, had been used on the children’s backs, arms, legs and buttocks.
But the physical punishment was only part of what concerned the judge. According to the children’s victim impact statements, they had become so frightened of Bores that they no longer wanted to be around him.
The case first came to authorities’ attention in March 2024, when a tip from Children Services led Erie County sheriff’s detectives to Bores’ home in Florence Township.
Investigators recovered a cattle prod from the property, and Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth said Bores admitted using the device to discipline his children. Authorities also reported that there were no cattle on the property.
The investigation uncovered additional allegations that Bores used a horsewhip and a large wooden spoon to punish children in the household.
Bores initially faced three domestic violence charges and three counts of child endangering. He pleaded guilty to two domestic violence counts in September 2025, with the remaining charges dismissed as part of the agreement.
However, the case continued for more than another year after Bores attempted to withdraw his guilty plea. That effort was ultimately unsuccessful.
At Thursday’s sentencing, defense attorney Brent English argued that his client had never intended to injure the children and described the punishment as discipline that had gone too far.
Prosecutor Paulette Lilly strongly rejected that characterization, pointing out that the electric device was manufactured to control animals weighing hundreds of pounds.
Bores also addressed the court, insisting that he had never wanted to hurt his children.
“Children services were there, not a mark, not a scratch, healthy,” he told the judge.
He acknowledged that his actions may have frightened the children but maintained that causing harm was never his intention.
“I’m just asking, give me a chance,” Bores pleaded, saying he wanted another opportunity to be a father.
His mother, Laura Bores, also defended him, describing her son as a hardworking family man. She insisted the children loved their father and would excitedly greet him when he returned home.
But Judge Binette pointed to the children’s own accounts, which painted a dramatically different picture.
The judge said the victims had described living in fear and had required counseling following the abuse.
He also considered Bores’ history of domestic violence and previous encounters with the criminal justice system. Earlier jail sentences, probation and other penalties had failed to prevent further trouble, the judge noted.
Binette questioned whether Bores had genuinely accepted responsibility, telling him that seeking help for his anger and alcohol use would have been a far better way to demonstrate his commitment to being a good father.
The judge ultimately concluded that another chance at avoiding prison was not warranted.
As he imposed the maximum six-year sentence, Binette emphasized that the children deserved protection from the very person who was supposed to keep them safe.
Bores was led from the courtroom in handcuffs, bringing a dramatic end to a criminal case that had stretched on for more than two years.
Following the hearing, Lilly welcomed the sentence, saying it reflected the seriousness of the crimes and would help protect the community.
Source: Iwpost.com
