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OGDEN — The director of a group home in Ogden has been charged with allegedly abusing one of the residents.
Allan David Falls, 38, of Lander, Wyoming, was charged Feb. 12 in Weber County Justice Court with child abuse, a class B misdemeanor.
On Jan. 26, a 16-year-old boy was in the dining room of Canyon River Ranch Group Home, 244 Ogden Canyon, arguing with another boy over rap music, according to charging documents. Falls told the boy to stop, the charges state.
"The victim told (Falls) to shut up and that he could do what he wanted," according to the charges.
According to a search warrant affidavit filed in 2nd District Court and unsealed over the weekend, "The victim felt like Allan was calling him out in front of the group home, so he and Allan got into a verbal argument."
Falls then pushed the teen off his chair, charging documents state.
"The victim advised he stood up and pushed Allan back and told him to get away," the warrant states.
"The victim then began to walk away, but threw a spoon at (Falls) over his shoulder as he left," the charges state.
Falls responded by grabbing the boy from behind and putting him in a headlock and holding him on the ground for about a minute, according to charging documents.
The boy received minor scratches from the scuffle. On Jan. 28, the boy told a counselor at his high school what had happened, who in turn told a school resource officer, the warrant states.
The manager of the treatment center contacted the Division of Child and Family Services about the confrontation, the warrant states, and was aware that law enforcement may be contacting them.
Administrators advised police that there was surveillance video of the alleged incident.
"From watching the video surveillance, (I) was able to see the footage corroborated the victim's account," the officer wrote in the warrant.
Canyon River's website bills itself as a place for helping juveniles with issues such as substance abuse, mental health conditions, criminal behaviors and eating disorders.
According to the website, Falls is the program director and has been with the group home since 2015.
