LOGAN — A 29-year-old father has accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to chaining his seven-year-old son to a bed while he was away from home.
Court records show Sammie Hodges pleaded guilty on Monday to child abuse, a class A misdemeanor. Three other misdemeanor charges were dismissed.
Hodges was arrested in June after police received an anonymous tip claiming the boy was being chained-up in a Logan home while his father was at work.
Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen said when police searched the home near 825 North 1400 East, they found the boy chained-up in a bedroom.
Defense attorney David Perry said the boy wasn’t injured by the heavy chain attached to his ankle, and he had access to snacks, water and a bathroom. He said Hodges couldn’t afford day care.
The child was taken into custody by Department of Child and Family Services.
Perry said he and prosecutors are recommending Hodges wear an ankle monitor for about four-months and complete 80-hours of community service. Sentencing is scheduled for December 15.
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