By Adam Sulfridge
Staff Writer
Yesterday, just before noon, Sergeant Brad Boyd of the Williamsburg Police Department and Child Protective Services agents responded to an anonymous child abuse tip.
Reportedly, a caller was concerned about the mistreatment of two children living with their mom and her boyfriend in the trailer park behind KFC. When Boyd and others arrived at the residence and explained the purpose of their visit, the mother was not cooperative and acted surprised, according to Public Affairs officer Shawn Jackson.
Upon visual inspection of the children, many bruises were discovered, and according to the arrest citation filed by Boyd, there were “bruises on children’s face, head, and rear end.”
The mother’s boyfriend, 30-year-old David T. Bunch, told officers that he had spanked the children the night before. He indicated that he used open-hand slaps and had “pulled their pants down while spanking the children on their rear ends,” noted Boyd in the citation. Jackson, however, said that neither law enforcement nor social services have ruled out the possibility that close-fisted strikes caused the injuries to the children’s head and face areas.
During police interviews, Bunch and the children’s mother, 28-year-old Rachelle J. Adkins, denied that objects were used during discipline procedures. Jackson said the mother and her boyfriend continually referred to discipline when explaining the markings on the children’s bodies.
“But this was beyond discipline,” Jackson said with a frustrated sigh.
The victims were two brothers, ages three and five. Each was subsequently removed from the home and placed into custody of a family member deemed safe by Social Services, and each will undergo medical evaluation for any underlying ailments resulting from the abuse.
Additionally, each child will be inspected by a forensic specialist. The specialist can help investigators determine the extent of the abuse by providing such information as to whether objects were used or how much force was used.
Sgt. Boyd arrested David Bunch and charged him with two counts of first-degree criminal abuse, and Chief Wayne Bird arrested Rachelle Adkins, charging her with two counts of first-degree criminal abuse also. According to an arrest citation filed by Bird, the mother “knew about the abuse and failed to report to law enforcement or social services.”
Criminal abuse is a class C felony, punishable by five to 10 years of incarceration. Because each offender was charged with two counts of criminal abuse, they will face a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years if found guilty on both counts.
Bunch and Adkins are both lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center, and the case is undergoing further investigation.
Called “a very serious child abuse case,” Officer Jackson said, “this is one of the cases which are hard to deal with.”
