DARLINGTON - A Darlington man was charged Tuesday with child abuse after he was accused of repeatedly punching a young boy in the chest.
Travis J. Halvorson, 35, faces two Class H felony counts of child abuse, a Class H felony count of strangulation and two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct after a pair of domestic abuse cases in the last two months.
The first incident took place on Dec. 4, when a child reported that Halvorson was assaulting a woman in a residence in the Town of Darlington. The woman later reported that, in a dispute about money, Halvorson had become angry and attacked her by attempting to seize money from her pocket - tearing her pants in the process - before shoving her against a stove, seizing her by the neck and throwing her to the ground.
The second incident occurred on Jan. 21, when the same child who reported the assault said he was assaulted by Halvorson.
The pre-teen child said Halvorson first threw a tool at him - later determined to be a paint scraper - when the child failed to respond to a request. The tool struck the child in the leg, causing him pain.
The child then said Halvorson shouted at him, calling him names before punching him repeatedly in the chest with closed fists. Although the child said he did not believe Halvorson was punching him with all his strength, he did estimate Halvorson struck him at least 30 times.
Afterward, the child said Halvorson forbade him from mentioning the abuse to anyone else, or else Halvorson would hurt him "so bad." The child also recalled an incident that same day when he repeatedly kicked another child in the buttocks and in the leg.
The boy was later admitted to the hospital when he reported significant chest pain that he attributed to Halvorson's actions.
Halvorson said he only pushed the boy with open hands and did not mean to strike him with the scraper.
A $3,000 signature bond was set Tuesday with conditions that he have no contact with the children he reportedly assaulted.
Halvorson's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14. The maximum possible sentence for his charges is nine years in prison.
Travis J. Halvorson, 35, faces two Class H felony counts of child abuse, a Class H felony count of strangulation and two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct after a pair of domestic abuse cases in the last two months.
The first incident took place on Dec. 4, when a child reported that Halvorson was assaulting a woman in a residence in the Town of Darlington. The woman later reported that, in a dispute about money, Halvorson had become angry and attacked her by attempting to seize money from her pocket - tearing her pants in the process - before shoving her against a stove, seizing her by the neck and throwing her to the ground.
The second incident occurred on Jan. 21, when the same child who reported the assault said he was assaulted by Halvorson.
The pre-teen child said Halvorson first threw a tool at him - later determined to be a paint scraper - when the child failed to respond to a request. The tool struck the child in the leg, causing him pain.
The child then said Halvorson shouted at him, calling him names before punching him repeatedly in the chest with closed fists. Although the child said he did not believe Halvorson was punching him with all his strength, he did estimate Halvorson struck him at least 30 times.
Afterward, the child said Halvorson forbade him from mentioning the abuse to anyone else, or else Halvorson would hurt him "so bad." The child also recalled an incident that same day when he repeatedly kicked another child in the buttocks and in the leg.
The boy was later admitted to the hospital when he reported significant chest pain that he attributed to Halvorson's actions.
Halvorson said he only pushed the boy with open hands and did not mean to strike him with the scraper.
A $3,000 signature bond was set Tuesday with conditions that he have no contact with the children he reportedly assaulted.
Halvorson's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 14. The maximum possible sentence for his charges is nine years in prison.