PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) – A Punxsutawney couple are facing charges after the man allegedly struck the woman’s six-year-old son with a belt and a pool stick.
According to a criminal complaint, police responded to a report from relatives of a young girl who allegedly told them her six-year-old brother was being abused by their mother’s live-in boyfriend, Jason Troy Bingaman, 38, of Punxsutawney.
Police and CYS workers responded to the home and noted full trash bags of household waste were allegedly seen on the porch and when they stepped inside “the smell was putrid,” and “there were cockroaches seen everywhere,” the complaint states.
The young girl allegedly told police and CYS the incident took place around 11:00 a.m. on July 19 when her brother took a piece of cake and ate it without permission, and Bigaman hit him on the rear and told her to hit him as well, and she hit him lightly. Bingaman then allegedly made him stand in a corner for several hours leaving only to use the restroom. The young girl said she wasn’t sure what Bingaman hit her brother with because she didn’t see it, the complaint indicates.
The girl also allegedly said prior to police and CYS arrival at the home, Bingaman came into her room and smashed a radio against a mirror and broke them both while saying “This is what you get for telling people what is going on in our home. This is bull****,” the complaint continues.
Police and CYS spoke with Bingaman, who allegedly said he only hit the child with an open hand before leaving to go to work, the complaint states.
Police and CYS viewed the boy’s injuries, which allegedly were “some old bruising as well as newer marks” on his butt cheeks and upper thighs. “The marks look long and slender,” the complaint indicates.
The boy said Bingaman hit him but only with his hand, according to the complaint.
Police interviewed the children’s mother, Melissa Nolder, 43, of Punxsutawney, who allegedly said she saw Bingaman hit her son twice on the buttocks and the young girl hit him on her own and said she asked Bingaman not to discipline her children anymore, the complaint states.
She reported she leaves her children alone with Bignaman at least three times each week to go to appointments and denied telling the children what to say or not to talk to police when she went to get them when police arrived, the complaint indicates.
Police spoke with Bingaman again and he denied hitting the boy with a pool stick but allegedly admitted striking him twice with an open hand, the complaint continues.
During an interview with a social worker, the boy allegedly said Bingaman hit him with a pool stick several times on his buttocks, hit him with a belt, made him sit in “an invisible chair,” and stand in the corner, according to the complaint.
The boy allegedly said he ate the cake and Bingaman made him find a belt, he did and would not give it to Bingaman, who took the belt and hit him with it. Bingaman then allgedly made the boy sit in “an invisible chair,” but he wasn’t doing it right, so he was hit with the pool stick on the buttocks, then made to stand in a corner, and was later hit with the pool stick again. At one point, Bingaman was allegedly sticking his thumb and hand in the child’s mouth so he could not breathe, and he breathed through his nose, the complaint indicates.
The young girl allegedly reported she did not see any of the assault taking place but said Nolder told her to lie to the police about Bingaman’s hitting the boy, the complaint continues.
Based on the investigation, Trooper Andrekovich, of Punxsutawney Borough Police, requested arrest warrants to be issued for Bingaman and Nolder.
According to online court documents, Bingaman faces first-degree misdemeanor charges of simple assault and endangering the welfare of children.
Court documents indicate Nolder faces first-degree misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of children.
Both are scheduled for preliminary hearings at 9:30 a.m. on October 6 before District Judge Robert Chambers.
No other information was available.
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