Man charged after video shows 3-year-old grabbed by the neck and thrown
By Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com
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REXBURG, Idaho (eastidahonews.com) — A 35-year-old man has been charged after a video was sent to the Rexburg Police Department, allegedly showing him strangling and throwing a 3-year-old child against a bed.
Joshua Daniel Swager of Rexburg was charged with one felony count of injury to a child, for which he faces a potential punishment of up to 10 years and or a fine of $50,000.
His bond was set at $100,000.
According to court documents, an officer with RPD had received an anonymous report that Swager had committed child abuse on Sept. 30.
The report has video from a camera inside where the alleged abuse occurred.
The document, along with timestamps, states that at the beginning of the video, Swager is seen lying in a bed in a living room.
At the three-second mark, Swager is heard to say, “I’m sick and tired of the screaming,” as two boys enter the room.
One of the boys is heard telling Swager he’ll tell another family member, but Swager told him not to. The document shows Swager may have yelled at the boy.
At the 19-second mark, Swager is seen sitting up, and is followed by a scream of a child who is out of view of the camera.
Swager is seen walking toward where the scream came from.
The document states that at 28 to 32 seconds, one of the boys is seen moving toward a reclining chair and hiding behind it in fear.
At the 32-second mark, Swager walks back into the camera’s view and is seen holding a 3-year-old girl by the neck in his right hand. The girl is heard whimpering.
A few seconds later, Swager is seen grabbing the back of the girl’s neck and throwing her against the bed.
The document states that Swager had held the girl by the neck for six seconds.
Swager is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge David Hunt for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 15.
Though Swager has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
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