BURLEY — A Paul man was sentenced Jan. 17 to 45 days in jail for misdemeanor injury to a child after police said he beat a 2-year-old boy on the buttocks with a bungee cord.
Jared Harper, 39, was charged on Sept. 14 after the boy’s grandparents told police about the Aug. 23 beating, according to court documents.
Police said photos of the boy taken the day he was beaten showed red marks with enough definition that loops of the bungee cord could be seen.
There were two distinct patterns, showing the toddler had been struck twice. There was also a scrape mark on his right thigh.
A photo taken a day later showed deep purple bruises where the red marks had been, court documents say.
The grandparents told police the boy had been struck for spilling juice on the seat in Harper’s truck and then denying that he did it.
Harper pulled down the toddler’s pants and diaper and hit him with the folded cord, records said.
The boy’s mother went to the bishop at her church afterward, who convinced her “to wait and work with Jared,” the citation said.
Minidoka County Magistrate Judge Rick Bollar sentenced Harper to 365 days in jail with 320 days suspended.
He will be allowed to serve his jail time on weekends so he can continue working.
Harper was also fined $200 and court costs. He will serve 24 months on supervised probation and perform 30 days of community service. He will also be required to complete a domestic violence education program.
He will report to the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center at 7 p.m. Feb. 8.
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(6) comments
Let's hope the two-year old boy learned his lesson.
Wow! I sure hope that is a snark. [ohmy]
Here is my unedited original thought:
Let's hope the two-year old boy learned his lesson, because I suspect a slap on the wrist won't phase his father.
I thought you meant the 2 year old adult DAD (SO CALLED DAD)
Ahh, I completely understand how what I original said could be interpreted this way.
I cannot get over the BISHOP telling this mother to just “work with Jared!” It is my understanding, that this type of abuse is to be reported to the authorities, NOT covered up within the church! The bishop needs to be brought up against charges for trying to cover this atrocity up! Jared needs beat with something equally as wicked as a bungee cord. This literally makes me sick for this little boy, his mother and his grandparents. Kudos to his grandma for reporting this.
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