BARBOUR COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Barbour County man and woman are facing serious allegations of child abuse after multiple children detailed repeated physical assaults during forensic interviews earlier this month.
On July 2, 2025, authorities began investigating reports of possible child abuse at a residence on City Lane in Philippi. A formal complaint was filed with the Barbour County DHHR the same day. The investigation escalated on July 17, when three children—ages 6, 10, and 11—were interviewed at the Clarksburg Child Advocacy Center.
According to State Police Trooper B. Stout, the children described disturbing patterns of abuse by Brandon Guy Tenney, including being lifted off the ground by their throats, beaten with a brown leather belt, and suffering visible bruises and welts. One child said he experienced blurry vision and trouble breathing during these attacks, while another claimed he witnessed Tenney hit a baby for crying.
During an interview at the Philippi Police Department, Tenney admitted to grabbing two of the children by the throat on multiple occasions, saying it was to “punish” them for bad behavior, including breaking an ice maker and bringing adult items out of their mother’s room. He also admitted to holding them about six inches off the ground for up to five minutes, stating one would “fall to the ground” afterward.
Tenney acknowledged hitting one child with a leather belt and described “play boxing” with another, claiming he didn’t intend to harm them but felt their mother, Bethany Marie Fortney, did not discipline them properly.
Investigators noted that both Tenney and Fortney demonstrated a reckless disregard for the children’s safety, with Fortney admitting she was aware of the abuse and even used it as grounds for a domestic violence protective order. Despite her knowledge, she reportedly failed to intervene or protect the children from harm.
