KOKOMO — The father a 9-year-old girl and his girlfriend are accused of physically abusing the child and neglecting her to the point she became malnourished.
Tracy A. Seats, 32, the girl's father, and Amy D. Smith, 38, were charged in an investigation opened after she came to school malnourished and bruised, court records show.
Kokomo police detectives began their investigation when they were called to a local hospital for a report of child abuse. The girl was taken to the hospital after she arrived to school looking malnourished and with marks and bruises all over her body, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The girl was so thin she had several bones protruding and she weighed just 48.51 pounds. She also hadn't bathed recently and was wearing dirtied and stained clothes, according to the affidavit.
When asked about her bruising, the girl told an Indiana Department of Child Services worker that Seats and Smith took turns beating her with a belt and that Seats grabbed her by her throat, choked her, held her against a wall, and slammed her head into a door. The girl also said Seats acted like he was going to hit her in the head with a hammer, scaring her to the point she urinated.
A medical examination found the girl had bruises and abrasions on both her knees and several bruises on her neck, the right side of her thigh area, left upper thigh, right hip and stomach area, and chin, according to the affidavit.
A police officer who had spoken earlier with Tracy said he commented on the girl's bruises but then changed his story, stating he didn't know anything about it. He also said he and Smith had both spanked the girl as a form of discipline, the affidavit alleges.
Seats was also charged in 2019 with neglect in a separate investigation.
Seats and Smith are both charged with one count each of domestic battery with serious bodily injury, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and domestic battery with bodily injury. Seats also faces a count of intimidation using a deadly weapon and strangulation. All charges are felonies.
Seats and Smith are scheduled to appear before a jury Sept. 30 in Howard Superior Court.
-
Carmel Police roll out new tech to protect officers during traffic stops
The Carmel police are introducing new technology to protect officers during traffic stops, following a weekend when three Indiana State Police vehicles were struck while parked on the roadside.
Holiday prices rise as tariffs and inflation hit retailers and customers
The most wonderful time of the year could soon become the most expensive as retailers and customers alike deal with rising inflation, new tariffs and higher operating costs this year.
Monroe County cancels homeless camp eviction on county-owned land
Monroe County hoped to remove a homeless community between Switchyard Park and RCA Community Park before Christmas. Instead, the tents will remain for the foreseeable future.
Damien Center urges lawmakers to extend Indiana needle exchange programs
Each year, the Damien Center says they have about 5,000 visits from people in need of clean needles.
