Woman Forced Child to Start Fire to Collect Insurance, Georgia Commissioner Says

Georgia authorities said a 34-year-old woman has been charged with arson and child cruelty after she forced her stepchild to light fire to her home in order to collect insurance payments.

Courtney Sellers, of Screven, in southeast Georgia, was arrested after fire investigators reviewed video of the fire and interviewed people at the scene, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King said in a news release.

The Jesup Fire Department asked investigators from the state Fire Marshal’s Office to step in after they videotaped the fire.

“Based on the footage and interviews conducted, investigators determined that Ms. Sellers compelled her stepchild to start a fire inside the home for insurance money on two separate occasions,” King said in a statement. “The suspect was arrested on July 18th and is currently being housed in the Wayne County Jail.”