Davies' arrested on child endangerment charges

Editor's Note: This story has been updated from the print version appearing in the July 21 edition of the Red Oak Express. It now includes sexual abuse charges filed against Kristopher Davies Monday afternoon. 

 

“I’m in fear of my children’s/my safety.” 

Joslin Davies wrote these words Feb. 27 when seeking a protective court order against her husband, Kristopher. 

Now, nearly five months later, Joslin and Kristopher are both in custody at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center after their children were hospitalized with serious injuries, including one with multiple skull fractures. 

Police aren’t indicating who is responsible for the injuries as they are waiting for the children, a two-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy, to be released from the hospital before interviewing them. 

Joslin and Kristopher were arrested Thursday on charges of child endangerment resulting in serious injuries following an investigation that started four hours earlier. Monday evening, Kristopher was also charged with another felony, sexual abuse in the second degree. There was no information released regarding who the victim is. 

According to police reports, officers and deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Davies’ home at 1 p.m. Thursday on a “welfare check.”

Upon arrival, officers found the couple’s two children with injuries, including what was later determined to be four skull fractures on the two-year-old.

In his report, the arresting officer stated “the defendant(s) did admittedly and willfully deprive the victims of necessary health care and in depriving the victims of the health care, did substantially harm the child’s physical and mental health.”

Later in the report, police state the children were injured Tuesday about 7 p.m.

Both children were taken from the home to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for treatment, but soon after, were transported an Omaha hospital with what is being described as “serious” injuries. Police expected them to be released sometime Monday.

The report does not indicate how the children were injured, but police added in a press release “officers … are still investigating other possible charges.”

The Davies’ were initially taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $10,000 bond. However, following their initial court appearance Friday morning, that bond amount was increased to $50,000 apiece.  As a result of the sexual abuse charge, Kristopher's bond was increased an additional $25,000 Monday evening.  

The Davies’ arrests are the latest in a series of domestic violence that started when Kristopher, 27, was arrested June 4, 2014, on two counts of child endangerment and one count of assault with bodily injury. 

Four months later, a Taylor County jury found Kristopher innocent on all charges. 

However, Joslin, 23, filed for a protective order against Kristopher in December 2014, alleging he had assaulted her and that she feared for her safety and that of her children. The protective order was issued, but was dropped a month later at Joslin’s request. 

She filed for and received a second protective order in February of this year, but it too was dropped in March after she failed to appear in court in March to continue it. 

In both instances, Joslin had claimed Kristopher had physically and verbally assaulted her, but did not indicate he had harmed the children. 

Kristopher had previously been convicted of violating probation three times, resulting in a 5-year prison sentence in 2009. He served about 18 months of that sentence and was released in 2011. 

The probation violation stemmed from a felony burglary arrest in 2006. 

Joslin had a second offense possession of a controlled substance charge dropped against her in June 2015. She had pleaded guilty in February to possession of drug paraphernalia and paid a $100 fine.