Before he died, a 12-year-old boy was shackled inside an Indiana motel bathtub with a dog shock collar around his neck, according to police.

CBS 4 reports that little Eduardo Posso passed away at the IU Health Bloomington Hospital in Bloomington, Indiana, last week after he was rushed to the hospital “severely emaciated.” The boy’s stepmother, Dayan Median Flores, 25, and his father, 32-year-old Luis Posso, are currently behind bars for multiple felony counts of child neglect while a coroner determines his official cause of death.

“This is beyond anything that I’ve worked with,” Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain said. “I can’t think of, in 30 years, a case like this….You don’t even want to let your mind go to imagine what this child’s thoughts were and what his prospects for his future were.”

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Flores and Posso worked as independent contractors for a circus and passed out event flyers for a living. They traveled to different cities and states for work. They were at an Economy Inn in Bloomington when they allegedly forced Eduardo into a bathtub with leg cuffs, shackles, and a shock collar on.

According to court documents obtained by IndyStar, the suspects placed a security web camera in the bathroom and had an app for the system on one of their cellphones. When detectives reviewed footage on the phone, they found photos of the boy with the shock collar around his neck. Further, authorities found a video of boy being restrained.

Police said the couple also brought their three other children with them, ages 9, 5, and 2, as they went to different areas to pass out flyers. Authorities indicated some of the children were often put to work passing out the flyers. None of the children were enrolled in school.

The other children were healthy and didn’t show signs of abuse. Police said that Eduardo was a problem child for the couple. Flores reportedly told police that it was Posso who physically abused and used restraints on the boy. She admitted she was aware of the situation.

“I was given the explanation that he was the child that acted up the most,” Detective Jennifer Allen said during a news conference. “He was the one they always had issues with. The other children behaved better than he did.”

Officials said not only was Eduardo physically abused, but also neglected to point of starvation. He was “severely emaciated, weighing approximately 50 to 55 pounds,” according to Monroe County Coroner Joani Shields.

The abuse has been going on for a while, according to authorities. Allen added the Eduardo had 0% body fat and authorities believe he may have died from starvation.

Since the suspects traveled to different areas, various jurisdictions are expected to be involved in the case. The other children are in the care of Child Protection Services.

Both suspects remain behind bars on $500,000 bond each. Charges against the suspects could be upgraded once the official cause of death is released.

The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.

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[Feature Photo: Eduardo Posso/Handout]