The Utah children's hospital where one of the kids that Jordan Taylor is accused of torturing was treated for hypothermia (KUTV).
A Utah man is accused of torturing his girlfriend's children for stealing treats and eating candy, with cops saying he punished them with "squats, planks or wall sits" and ice-cold showers until one of the kids got hypothermia and had to be hospitalized.
Jordan Taylor, 28, of Blanding, is charged with aggravated child abuse and child torture, kidnapping, domestic violence in the presence of a child, reckless endangerment, and unlawful detention of a minor for the alleged punishments.
Court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate KSL and the ABC affiliate KTVX outline how Taylor forced his girlfriend's kids, ages 6 and 3, to perform excruciating exercise routines and practice Muay Thai on one another. The 6-year-old was allegedly ordered to practice Muay Thai moves on her 3-year-old brother and the boy would be punished if he cried, according to police.
The daughter told investigators that one of Taylor's punishments included wrapping tape around her brother's mouth while forcing him to "perform air squats," per the court documents. She alleged that this happened because her brother would "steal cake in the middle of the night" and he was "eating it under his covers."
"The fridge and freezer were shut and locked with a lock," the court documents say.
Taylor's abusive ways came to light after the boy was hospitalized last week due to a bout of hypothermia, which led to the discovery of "bruising across his entire body," according to police. An investigation was launched on April 22 and Taylor was questioned about what happened, which prompted him to discuss his punishment routine.
"Jordan stated that the children would have to do squats, planks, or wall sits if they got into trouble," the court documents state. "He said they most often got in trouble for stealing treats or taking candy when they were not supposed to. He informed us that these punishments were his idea."
While Taylor is described in the court documents as the boyfriend of the children's mother, they allegedly referred to him as their dad. The girlfriend and her kids both tried claiming that the injuries they sustained were from Muay Thai practice, KSL and KTVX report.
Investigators, however, did not believe this to be true.
"The child's hypothermia, together with the extensive bruising on the victim's body, including marks around the wrists, (indicating he had been tied down) present a clear and immediate danger to the minor children living in the residence," the court documents say.
Asked of the mother observed the alleged abuse and tried to do anything to stop it, her daughter reportedly told police, "It hurts her mother's head, and she usually put headphones on. This is when Jordan would put her brother into the cold shower."
Taylor's jail and court status was unclear Tuesday.
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