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KEARNS — A Kearns man is facing multiple charges accusing him of biting, choking, and using a wooden object to beat his children.
Sid Anthony Morris, 39, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with five counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. He is accused of abusing his three children, all of whom are under the age of 8.
The mother of the children noticed on July 5 that her 7-year-old son "had a laceration to the head that was super glued shut, bite marks on his fingers, and multiple bruises," according to charging documents. When questioned, the boy said Morris bit his foot "because he forgot to put away a puzzle," and had also bit his arm and fingers, choked him with both hands, and "hit him with a metal wrench and a screwdriver."
A doctor confirmed the boy had "extensive bruising on his face, chin, arms, chest, back, buttocks, perianal region, and legs" and also observed "abrasions on his hands and feet that were consistent with bite marks," the charges state.
When the boy's 7-year-old sister was questioned, she allegedly said that she watched her father apply super glue to her brother's head.
"It had to be super glued because there was a crack and so no one could see it," she said. She added that she has witnessed her brother "get hurt a lot, including being spanked, bit, smacked, and his hair pulled," according to the charges.
The girl says she has also been choked, according to police.
"(She) stated that Morris spanked them every day and he looked and acted like a monster. (She) stated that Morris only bites (her brother) but that he does it a lot," the charges allege.
A 5-year-old brother told investigators that "Morris hits him with a 'spanking stick,' which is a wooden rectangle," according to the court documents. His mother says she has allegedly witnessed Morris hitting the boy and "leaving bruises all over his body."
Morris also "told the children to keep their injuries secret," the charges say. Prosecutors are requesting that he be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending the outcome of his criminal case.
In April, Morris was charged with aggravated assault and accused of choking the children's mother, according to court records. That case was still pending as of Thursday.
Child abuse resources:
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).
- The Utah Division of Child and Family Services offers counseling, teaches parenting skills and conflict resolution and can connect families with community resources. Its goal is to keep children with their family when it is "possible and safe." Visit dcfs.utah.gov/contact-us/ or call 801-538-4100.
- The Christmas Box House acts as a temporary shelter for children and can provide them with new clothing and shoes, among other services. Call the Salt Lake office at 801-747-2201 or the Ogden office at 801-866-0350.
