Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OGDEN — Two Weber County residents are in jail after they were using an electric shock device on two young children who were handcuffed together.
Jared Michael Hamilton, 29, of Ogden, and Mercedes Barbara Compton, 29, of Pleasant View, were both charged Monday, and each faces two counts of child abuse by intentionally inflicting serious physical injury, which is a third-degree felony.
Court documents filed Monday in Ogden's 2nd District Court allege that police obtained video of Compton and Hamilton, her boyfriend, using an "electronic shocking device to physically discipline" two children, a 5-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl.
One video allegedly shows Hamilton holding the shocking device and reaching out to touch it to the boy's arm. The boy tried to "violently" pull his arm away, but he was unable to do so because "he was handcuffed to his 6-year-old sister," charging documents say. Later in the same video, police allege that Hamilton grabbed the girl's arm before touching her on her back with the electric device. The video then allegedly shows the girl jerking her body away from the device, according to charging documents.
Compton is also accused of using a shocking device, as charging documents allege that she took the device and shocked the children after Hamilton had also shocked the kids. Police say that a video depicts her waving the shocking device in front of the two children before touching the boy with it.
Shortly after, she allegedly tried to shock the girl, but the girl reached out and physically stopped Compton from touching her with the device, charging documents say. The child then tried to get away from the device, but "was unable to do so due to being handcuffed to the 5-year-old child," according to charging documents.
Both Hamilton and Compton were booked into the Weber County Jail on Saturday, according to online booking records. Court filings and online booking records show they are both being held in jail without bail. The initial court appearances for Hamilton and Compton are scheduled to take place Wednesday.
