We all know kids like to wander. And given the opportunity, they always choose play over obligations. Well, one son’s tendency to wander and play got his father arrested. His father, from another state, is being charged with Child Endangerment after his 8 year old son skipped church to play. The boy was supposed to get on the church bus with his four siblings to attend church group. The father was not there to see his kids get on the bus, but he assumed they had as he saw the bus pull up to his house. However, instead of going to church, the boy decided to go to a store a few blocks away. The store clerk called police and the boy was brought home at the same time his siblings were returning from church. Police arrested the father in front of his children and charged him with misdemeanor Child Endangerment.
Skipping Church = Misdemeanor Child Abuse in Larimer County
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, the father in this situation would be charged with misdemeanor Child Abuse. Child Abuse – C.R.S. 18-6-401 – is defined by Colorado law as:
In this case, the District Attorney may argue that the child was in a situation that posed a threat of injury to the child’s life or health when the father did not make sure his son got on the bus. Of course, arresting the father for this type of crime is unreasonable, since he did not intentionally injure the boy.
Sentencing for Misdemeanor Child Abuse
Colorado law provides:
(b) Where no death or injury results, the following shall apply:
- An act of child abuse when a person acts knowingly or recklessly is a class 2 misdemeanor
- An act of child abuse when a person acts with criminal negligence is a class 3 misdemeanor
For this situation, the DA would probably argue the father was acting with negligence when he didn’t make sure his son got on the bus, putting him in danger. This would be a class 3 misdemeanor with a possible 6 month jail sentence.