A Detroit Lakes man has been charged with three felony counts of malicious punishment of a child for allegedly beating several children in his care with a belt.
Vincent Ray Jolicoeur, 31, of 22644 Highview Oaks Circle, Detroit Lakes, was also charged in Becker County District Court with three gross misdemeanor counts of domestic assault.
According to court records:
On Feb. 8, a sheriff's department investigator was dispatched to Jolicoeur's residence on a report of possible child abuse. An 8-year-old child allegedly disclosed that he had been hit with a belt the previous day.
Jolicoeur, who has two children, lives with a woman who has four children and they raise the six children together, according to court records.
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On Feb. 9, four of the six kids were interviewed by the sheriff's investigator and a social worker with Becker County child protection.
They said that on Feb. 7, the children had been told they had to clean up the inside of the house, clean up outside the residence and find a missing movie.
Jolicoeur allegedly was angry that the house wasn't cleaned perfectly and the missing movie had not been found. He allegedly hit all but one of the children with a black belt with a piece of metal on it.
The child who was not hit allegedly had to watch the others being hit to 'learn a lesson."
Three of the children allegedly had multiple bruises and welts consistent with being hit with a belt.
On Monday, District Judge Peter Irvine issued a summons for Jolicoeur to appear in court March 30.
