Draper man accused of abusing, torturing children in home

DRAPER — A Draper man has been arrested and accused of abusing children by "whooping" them with a leather belt, making them go for days without eating and forcing them to stand on one leg in a corner for hours.

James Maurice Roberts, 32, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Monday for investigation of child torture, aggravated child abuse and witness tampering.

The investigation began in June when a male disclosed to his therapist that "there had been ongoing abuse" in the Draper home where he was living with his uncle, Roberts, according to a police booking affidavit. The male's age is not disclosed. Police noted in their affidavit that the Division of Child and Family Services has opened multiple investigations into alleged abuse of the children.

Investigators went to the home and talked to the male's sister, who told police "that James has been whooping their daughters with a leather belt, and on one occasion she recalled when James was whooping (a girl) with a leather belt, she put up her hand to defend against being beaten, and her thumb was dislocated, and later was found to have a broken growth plate," according to the affidavit.

The girl further told police that Roberts broke her thumb while "beating her with the black, spiked belt," and when he took her to the hospital he "threatened to break (her) other finger if she did not tell the doctor she broke her thumb by falling off of her bike," the affidavit state.

Detectives interviewed all four children living in the house, and "all of the children independently described being beaten with a leather belt all over their hands, arms, back, head, and feet. The children described being beat with two belts, a brown leather belt that broke and a black leather belt that has silver spikes or bumps on it. The children also described being beat with a hanger, and a spatula," the affidavit states.

Since a DCFS investigation was opened because of the alleged belt beatings, the children claimed that Roberts "has been forcing the children to stand in a corner of their home on one foot for hours. Two of the children independently described when they would place their foot down on the ground, James would throw a shoe at them," the affidavit states.

One boy told investigators that Roberts "made her sister stand in a corner three days without eating," according to the affidavit.

Police have requested that Roberts be held in jail without the possibility of posting bail pending the filing of formal charges.

{#abuse}

Related topics