FCSO charges Russellville man with child abuse
A Russellville man was arrested Thursday by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office after reports of abuse to a child.
Timothy Andrew Arnold, of Russellville, was charged with child abuse plus the additional charge of domestic violence second degree.
Investigators with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office were contacted by Russellville Hospital Emergency Room Thursday evening. Hospital personnel reported a child had been brought in to the ER with a broken femur by Arnold, the boyfriend of the child’s mother. The child also had numerous bruises on his face, head and hip, in addition to the broken leg, according to the FCSO.
According to the sheriff’s office report, the child indicated Arnold had caused some of the bruises on his face. The boy’s mother was contacted by Arnold about 3 p.m. at work about the leg injury. She stated to investigators that she started leaving the child in Arnold’s care the last two weeks while she worked and that over the past two days she noticed the appearance of the bruising.
FCSO investigators interviewed Arnold, and the suspect reportedly admitted to whipping the child earlier in the month but not recently. Investigators said he also admitted to slapping the child in the mouth but could not explain how the bruising happened during his care of the child.
According to school officials, the kindergartner did have one noted bruise Wednesday, but the injuries present at the ER were not there Wednesday, and the child was not at school Thursday.
Sheriff Shannon Oliver said the case was horrible. “It is always a sad situation when a child has been harmed,” Oliver said.
Arnold was initially charged with child abuse Thursday, pending medical updates on the child’s injuries. Friday he was additionally charged with domestic violence second degree. He is in the Franklin County Jail on a $100K bond.
