Adult Baby, Stanley Thornton, Jr., Cleared Of Social Security Fraud, Demands Apology
When this man-baby is threatened, he doesn't cry -- he fights back.
A fully grown man who wears diapers and sucks on a pacifier has been cleared of alleged Social Security fraud and wants the senator who attacked him to apologize.
Stanley Thornton, Jr. has a medical condition known as paraphilic infantilism that leads him to pretend to be a small child as a way to cope with the physical and sexual abuse he suffered, according to Good Morning America.
The National Geographic program "Taboo" taped his unusual lifestyle and revealed that he makes ends meet by collecting disability checks.
That stirred up a controversy in May with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) who demanded an investigation into Thornton. He accused Thornton, in his 30s, of possible fraud, because he was on the dole yet was filmed constructing a high-chair and managing his personal website. Coburn argued that he should have been earning a living instead of playing make-believe.
Thornton got about $860 a month in government support, which was provided because he was diagnosed with a range of ailments, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
The stakes were raised when Thornton warned that if his livelihood were cut off he would kill himself.
The Social Security Administration quietly cleared Thornton of any wrongdoing in August, according to The Washington Times.
Now, Thornton demands a mea culpa from Coburn. He says the senator's attack created a stressful environment not just for him, but also for his roommate who played a maternal role. Sandra Diaz fed him and helped him dress in oversized baby clothes She died at the height of the scandal in July, The Times reports.
Coburn's spokesman instead said that "this case highlights the need for comprehensive reform in order better define who is eligible to receive disability benefits. We need to hold accountable not only adult babies but the politicians and bureaucrats who coddle them."
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First Posted: 10/21/11 11:47 AM ET Updated: 12/21/11 05:12 AM ET