- A Tooele man pleaded guilty to a felony child abuse charge on Monday in a deal with prosecutors.
- Travis McCoy's charges followed a prior child abuse conviction and probation sentence.
- McCoy and his wife, Catherine Dillard, lived in "squalor" with two young boys, prosecutors allege.
TOOELE — A Tooele man previously convicted of child abuse pleaded guilty this week to additional charges.
Travis William McCoy and his wife, Catherine Ann Dillard, both 33, were charged Aug. 25 with two counts of aggravated child abuse, one third-degree felony and one class A misdemeanor; and two counts of child abuse, a class C misdemeanor.
On Monday, McCoy pleaded guilty to the third-degree felony child abuse charge, and the other three charges were dismissed. As part of the plea agreement, the court agreed to reduce the severity of his conviction if he successfully completes probation.
The new charges came one week after McCoy was convicted of child abuse with injury, a class A misdemeanor, and was sentenced to one year of probation. In that case, McCoy hit his son, who is under the age of 10, in the face in March, in addition to other abuse, charging documents state. Employees at the boy's school noted the injuries and contacted authorities.
While that investigation was happening, McCoy and Dillard got their home cleaned up, detectives noted. But by July, "the same house has been seen with live mice inside the house and dog feces all over inside the house," a search warrant affidavit alleges, adding that mice were crawling on one child's bed at night and one bit the child.
Two boys, both under the age of 10, were taken into state protective custody.
Following his guilty plea, McCoy was placed in the custody of the Tooele County Jail, and the court denied his motion to be released prior to his sentencing, which is scheduled for Nov. 24. Dillard is also in jail while her case is pending.
According to the charges filed on Aug. 25 against both McCoy and Dillard, one of the boys was diagnosed with an eye disorder.
McCoy and Dillard knew of the boy's condition but "did not ensure that the victim made his eye appointments, nor was the victim kept with the proper equipment to do so. (Their) failure to see to the victim's eye care has resulted in extended, if not permanent, damage to the victim's eyesight," the charges state. "Also, the victim's teeth were in tremendous disrepair. The victim had not been to a dentist in over five years and was not taught proper dental hygiene, resulting in extensive rot that required a great deal of repair."
McCoy, Dillard and the children also lived in "squalor," according to prosecutors. "The house was unkempt and crawling with rodents, filth and multiple forms of animal feces."
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).
Help with children
Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:
- The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
- Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
- The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
- The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.
