A 6-year-old boy’s mother, grandmother, and aunt have all been arrested after they orchestrated an elaborate kidnapping scheme, one that lasted for four hours and involved a very real handgun, to teach the boy a lesson about why it’s dangerous to talk to strangers.

Lincoln County police say the fake abduction was put into action on Monday after the Missouri family became gravely concerned that the boy was just “too nice” for his own good. The family also convinced a 23-year-old male friend of the aunt’s, Nathan Firoved, to get in on the action as their lead kidnapper. From NBC:

On Monday, Firoved allegedly kidnapped the child after he got off a school bus and said he would never “see his mommy again,” authorities said. Firoved also showed a handgun to the now-sobbing boy, then drove around in his truck, and finally tied him up and covered his face with a jacket when the child wouldn’t stop crying.

Firoved proceeded to blindfold the boy and place his feet into plastic bags, before driving back to the boy’s home. There, the aunt allegedly pulled down the boy’s pants and threatened to put him into “sex slavery.” Moments later, surprise! The boy became privy to the fact the whole terrifying ordeal was just a crafty hoax and that his own family was in fact far more dangerous than a true kidnapper.

The family has been charged with a host of charges, including felony kidnapping and abuse. They deny any wrongdoing.