Utah couple charged with 29 counts of child abuse

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

MAGNA, Utah (KSL.com) — A Magna mates is facing much than 2 twelve charges of kid maltreatment aft constabulary opportunity nan man punched, kicked and choked nan woman’s 3 boys and made them do push-ups arsenic a shape of punishment, while nan mother did nothing.

Kristopher Riley North, 34, and Sarah Louise Sorensen, 27, were each charged Wednesday successful 3rd District Court pinch 21 counts of aggravated kid abuse, a second-degree felony; and 8 counts of kid abuse, a people A misdemeanor.

The investigation began Aug. 21 erstwhile Unified constabulary responded to nan couple’s location connected a kid maltreatment investigation. Sorensen told officers that she, North and her 3 children person lived together since 2018.

On that day, North became angry pinch Sorensen’s 6-year-old boy for utilizing nan doorway grip to get retired of North’s truck, according to charging documents. North told nan boy to spell upstairs and “get successful a push-up position.”

“North past made (the boy) do push-ups. North told (the boy) he was not doing nan push-ups correctly and kicked (him) twice,” nan charges allege.

Police opportunity North would besides “kick, slap, aliases spank” nan boy if he did not reply him utilizing nan connection “sir.”

“Sorensen stated (the boy) missed a ‘yes, sir’ and North slapped him pinch an unfastened manus ‘over and over,'” according to nan charges.

The female besides reported North slapped her 9-year-old boy aggregate times nan time earlier and grabbed him by nan pharynx pinch some hands and “pushed up.”

North besides allegedly punched nan 6-year-old successful June “with a closed fist … successful nan thorax aggregate times. Sorensen said nan ‘momentum’ made (the boy) autumn backmost and deed his caput connected nan area of a chair successful nan surviving room, causing him to suffer consciousness,” nan charges state. The boy “‘very intelligibly had a concussion’ arsenic he was not speaking clearly, could not guidelines up connected his own, and his pupils were dilated differently,” she told police.

But investigators opportunity nan mother did not activity aesculapian help.

Sorensen’s 8-year-old boy was besides punched by North, who additionally pulled retired nan boy’s hair, “leaving bald spots,” nan charges allege. The boy besides told investigators astir a clip North allegedly pointed a weapon astatine him.

When questioned by police, North admitted to spanking nan children, forcing them to do push-ups arsenic a shape of subject and putting his hands astir their necks, nan tribunal documents say.

“North reported he ‘likes to drawback them connected nan backmost of their cervix and show them wherever they’re expected to beryllium and what they’re expected to do.’ North further admitted he grabs nan children by nan beforehand of nan cervix pinch 1 manus and ‘if they conscionable respire done their nose, they would beryllium fine.’ North advised that he uses ‘enough unit connected nan trachea that you can’t respire done your nose, but you tin respire done your mouth,’ which ‘keeps them from talking,'” charging documents state. “North stated he has utilized his ft to ‘discipline’ nan children erstwhile they are expected to do push-ups and ‘if they want to beryllium a babe astir it, that is their … problem.'”

After examinations, a expert concluded their injuries were accordant pinch being abused “over a span of respective years.”

“The actions of some of these defendants are some egregious and concerning. While North committed nan utmost acts of violence, Sorensen made nan prime to watch nan maltreatment happen, made nan prime to let nan maltreatment to happen, made nan prime not to activity aesculapian attraction erstwhile needed, and made nan prime to not activity thief from professionals aliases rule enforcement because ‘she conscionable didn’t want to woody pinch it,'” prosecutors concluded successful nan charges.