Utah woman charged with aggravated child abuse for second time this year

FORT DUCHESNE, Uintah County — A 48-year-old mother already charged with aggravated child abuse for alleged crimes against her daughter is now charged with the same crime for allegedly kicking her young son out of the house.

Barbara Susan Williford, 48, of Roosevelt, was charged Monday in 8th District Court with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony. She was charged with the same crime, aggravated child abuse, earlier this year for allegedly putting Borax, a household cleaner, in her 14-year-old daughter's water.

According to the new charges, Williford's 8-year-old son was found on the night of Dec. 10 walking in the middle of the road.

"It was dark and cold outside, approximately 40 degrees in temperature and dropping, (and) the child was only wearing socks, no shoes," charging documents state.

Police learned that the boy had had an argument with his mother, who then "grabbed the child by the back of the neck and forced him outside the home and told him he could not live there, and by so doing knowingly and intentionally unreasonably exposed her 8-year-old child to excessive cold and darkness," according to the charges.

A police booking affidavit adds that when questioned by officers, Williford said her son "had been on his electronics for too long. Barbara stated she asked the juvenile to get off his electronics and help with chores," according to the affidavit.

Williford claimed she sent the boy to his room for a "time out" when he refused to help. When he allegedly refused a second time to do chores, she grabbed the boy and threw him out, the affidavit says.

"I then asked Barbara about telling him that he was not allowed at the residence, and she stated that she told the juvenile that if he was not going to be a team player, he was not allowed to live there," police wrote in the affidavit.

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