Mother charged with child torture after two arrested for alleged years-long abuse of children

SANDY, Utah (ABC4) — A mother was charged with child torture after allegedly abusing her two children for several years. Her ex is also facing a charge of child abuse for reportedly participating in the abuse of one of her children.

The mother was charged with the following on Friday:

• One count of child torture (first-degree felony)
• One count of aggravated child abuse (first-degree felony)
• One count of obstruction of justice (second-degree felony)
• One lesser count of aggravated child abuse (second-degree felony)
• Two counts of tampering with a witness (third-degree felony)
• One count of tampering with evidence (Class A misdemeanor)
• One count of child abuse (Class A misdemeanor)

ABC4 will not be revealing the name of the suspect to protect the identity of her children. Her ex, a Sandy man, was charged with one count of aggravated child abuse on Sept. 25.

According to court documents, the Sandy Police Department began investigating a report from an 11-year-old about child abuse by their mother and “her ex.” The victim reported that their mother would often “get mad” and “use a belt” on themself and their 8-year-old sibling.

The 11-year-old told police that their mother once spanked them “approximately 40 times” and spanked their sibling around 10 times. The child said that after this, their backside was “black,” and she had just told them to throw the belt away and put Neosporin on the injury.

She also allegedly threw the child’s phone at a window, causing it to break, and told the 11-year-old to “make up a story” about falling to explain the injuries. The child described several other incidents where she would hit them with a belt, wooden spoon, or her hand, saying that they “got really hurt during these times.”

The abuse went back to at least 2021, the child recalled. Sometimes the mother would tell the 11-year-old to blame the abuse on her ex. They described being “really scared” and that when they would try to protect themself from her, she would “continuously hit” them across the body.

The ex had also participated in the abuse, the child victim stated. The 11-year-old told law enforcement that he had hit them with a wooden spoon before, and that when they visited him at his house, he would make the child stand in the corner for “eight hours” or sometimes “the whole day.”

The 11-year-old said that when they told him they didn’t like soccer, he made them run 300 laps. When forced to run, the child was not allowed to get a jacket, even if it was nighttime.

“Everyone else was having fun inside the warm house while [the 11-year-old] was being made to run around the yard,” court documents read. The male suspect would not let the child back inside until they had finished all 300 laps, watching from inside the house to ensure that they couldn’t take a break.

At one point in the past, the 11-year-old had been interviewed regarding the abuse, but the mother told them “not to say anything bad about her.” The child said that when they reported the man’s abuse, the case did “not get heard” and was “thrown out.”

Police also spoke with the 8-year-old sibling about the alleged abuse by their mother. The child victim also reported that she hits themself and their 11-year-old sibling with a belt “because she gets mad.”

The 8-year-old disclosed to officers that their mother once hit them with “the star belt” and that the 11-year-old “got a lot of scars” and they “barely got any.” The younger sibling said that after their mother hit the two children, she would tell them to “get out of her face.”

According to court documents, the mother has “an extensive violent criminal history,” and has previously been charged with stalking, aggravated assault, violating protective orders, domestic violence, and more. The mother is currently being held at the Salt Lake County Jail without bail on previous charges.

A no-bail warrant was requested for the mother to continue holding her in jail. The male suspect was arrested and booked into jail in September, but has since been released.