Brandon Bret Rogers, a 45-year-old father from Oregon, has been sentenced to more than 45 years in prison for torturing his 7-year-old son with a Taser as a form of discipline. The abuse included incidents where the child was tased for failing to hold a ‘push-up’ position during family dinner. Rogers was convicted of nearly 60 charges, including nine counts of second-degree assault and 11 counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment.
The investigation began in September 2024 after police received a report of child abuse involving a 7-year-old boy with multiple injuries. During their investigation, they discovered that Rogers and the boy’s mother, Heather Black, physically abused their son on multiple occasions using a Taser and other weapons. The abuse was captured on hours of surveillance footage from the home, revealing a ‘more heinous environment’ where the child was abused multiple times a day.
Rogers and Black also menaced their 4-year-old daughter with the Taser on multiple occasions. During the sentencing hearing, Lane County Circuit Judge Charles Zennaché detailed some of the abuse the boy endured, including being tased while in a ‘push-up’ position during dinner. The judge described Rogers’ actions as ‘deliberate cruelty’ and ‘frankly torture’ that was carried out by someone who should have been giving his son ‘solace and strength.’
Rogers’ attorney blamed his actions on a ‘very, very violent childhood,’ during which he incurred daily beatings from his father. The two children have since been adopted, and one of the adoptive parents told the court that the children are now ‘terrified to tell the truth when they make mistakes.’ Rogers’ total sentence is 45 years and 10 months, and his attorney plans to appeal. Heather Black pleaded guilty last year to assault and criminal mistreatment and is serving a 15-year prison sentence.
