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Accused of using a belt to discipline his two daughters, a Warsaw man was jailed Thursday on two counts of aggravated battery.
Noel Blankenship, 32, of 794 Bunting Lane, Warsaw, is being held in the Kosciusko County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bond.
According to a Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department report, a caseworker from the Kosciusko County Division of Family and Children contacted police after investigating allegations of child abuse. An 11-year-old reportedly told a teacher at the Warsaw elementary school she attends that her father struck her and her 9-year-old sister three times each with a belt.
The punishment allegedly occurred because the girls did not clean the bathroom of their home to their father's satisfaction.
The girls were removed from their father's custody and turned over to another relative who reportedly told police that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.
Another caseworker investigated an incident involving the 11-year-old last week, but there wasn't enough evidence to arrest Blankenship at that time. The child was told to report any further incidents to her teacher.
The police report indicated that pictures were taken of the girls' injuries, which consisted of welts and bruises. The police reportedly also noted that prior to actually being taken into custody, Blankenship said "he had whooped on them a little too hard due to his frustration at work and aggravation."
Blankenship was instructed not to make any contact with his daughters or the relative in whose care they have been placed until further notice from the Division of Family and Children.
The Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also is involved in this investigation because Blankenship reportedly has a felony drunk driving conviction in LaGrange County and allegedly was in possession of several guns at his residence - a federal violation for a convicted felon.
