"Forced 6-Year-Old Son to Use Treadmill Saying 'You Must Lose Weight'... Father Caused Son's Death"

Forced to Use Treadmill for Being Overweight
Denies Child Abuse Charges in Court

A man in his 30s in the United States was sentenced to 25 years in prison for forcing his 6-year-old son to run on a treadmill due to being "overweight," which led to the child's death.

On the 4th (local time), according to foreign media including the UK’s The Mirror, Christopher Gregor (32), the father who abused and caused the death of Cory Michiolo (6) on the 2nd, was sentenced to 20 years for gross negligence manslaughter and 5 years for child abuse, totaling 25 years in prison.

The case became controversial after CCTV footage from inside a gym showing Cory and Christopher spread online. The video showed Cory running at a fast speed on the treadmill, falling down, and Gregor putting his hands between Cory’s arms to lift him up and force him to keep running on the treadmill.

[Image source=X (X, formerly Twitter)]

A little later, Cory fell again but, after glancing at Gregor, got back on the treadmill. Cory, who seemed to have lost strength in his legs, kept falling, but Gregor ignored this and increased the speed and incline while watching him.

A few days later, Cory was rushed to the hospital due to nausea and difficulty breathing but ultimately died. The police stated that the autopsy revealed Cory had sustained traumatic injuries to his heart hours before his death, suggesting ongoing child abuse by the father.

However, Gregor denied all charges in court. He said, "I did nothing that would cause my son's death, did not hurt him, and I love him and still do. I only regret not taking him to the hospital sooner."

The background of the case reportedly involved a custody dispute between the parents. Cory’s mother, Briana Michiolo, lived separately from Gregor and shared joint custody of their son.

However, during the trial, Michiolo claimed she had reported Gregor to authorities over 100 times for child abuse but that no appropriate protective measures were taken. In court, Michiolo appealed to the judge, saying, "He shows no remorse for his actions," and asked for the harshest punishment.