Pa. couple charged after teen son found malnourished with dental decay

A Chester County couple has been charged after allegedly neglecting basic healthcare to a teenager in their care, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Back on April 15, 2025, a report was made to Pennsylvania’s ChildLine about a child who was “severely underweight, malnourished and had severe dental decay,” according to a criminal complaint by the DA.

That same day, a 16-year-old boy was taken to a healthcare facility for a routine physical by his mother, Leticia Cox, who said she wanted to reestablish care for him, officials said.

The physical found that the boy was emaciated and dehydrated. He stood at five feet four inches and weighed nearly 75 pounds, according to officials.

In the report, the boy’s eyes were sunken and he was nervous during the exam.

The next day, his father, Mark Cox Sr., was urged to bring the child to Chester County Hospital and then the boy was taken to Nemours Children’s Hospital where his condition was listed as a “near fatality,” according to the criminal complaint.

An investigation revealed that the boy was covered under medical insurance plans, but investigators were unable to find if they boy had ever been to see a doctor or dentist before April 15.

Investigators also said that Mr. and Mrs. Cox were allegedly aware of the condition of the child based off of their phone records.

The child was homeschooled and had little to no communication with anyone outside of the family, officials said.

Letitia Cox was charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and other related charges while Mark Cox was charged with endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.

If you have concerns about the safety of a child, please call the ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313 or call 911.