A Duluth man is accused of using belts and extension chords to physically abuse five children so severely that some of the children have "permanent scars,'' according to the criminal complaint.
Jason L. Wiggins, 27, was arraigned Thursday in St. Louis County District Court on three counts of malicious punishment of a child resulting in substantial bodily harm and two counts of malicious punishment of a child for allegedly using unreasonable force or cruel discipline.
The children he is accused of abusing are a 13-year-old girl, an 11-year-old girl, a 9-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.
Judge Dale Harris set bail at $50,000. Wiggins was being held in the St. Louis County Jail.
According to the criminal complaint, the teenage girl reported to her school principal and a Duluth police officer that she was afraid to go home because she would be beaten with a belt or extension cord. She said she was beaten about
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10 times a month. The officer witnessed several injuries on the girl that appeared to be inflicted at different times.
The girl identified two other victims she said had been struck by Wiggins.
One child had multiple "permanent scars" on the back of his legs. Another child had "unusual scars" on the back of her legs. A third child had multiple "permanent scars" on her legs. One alleged victim claims that Wiggins hit her on the hand with a "medium sized bat."
Police executed a search warrant at Wiggins' residence and seized white extension cords and several belts.
