By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

ANSONIA — An Ansonia officer is being accused of choking a child.

Christian A. Idle, 38, of Ansonia was arrested and transported to the Darke County Jail on Aug. 3 on one count of domestic violence, a misdemeanor of the first degree, and one count of strangulation, a felony of the fourth degree.

According to the Darke County Common Pleas Court document, “on or about Aug. 3, at the County of Darke, Christian Idle did knowingly cause or create a substantial risk of physical harm to an eight year old child victim, who was a family or household member.” The document continues to say the violence was conducted by way of strangulation or suffocation.

Continuing on, the document accused Idle of knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to an eight year old child victim to render domestic violence charges. According to a story from WHIO, officers were called to W. Weller Street in Ansonia by a woman who had advised she had witnessed Idle “striking and kicking her eight year old son.”

She and her son lived with Idle, and before the incident happened, she advised he walked outside and told her “she needed to get her son out of his house” before proceeding back in.

An officer reported observing redness and bruising around the child’s neck that appeared to be broken blood vessels that matched the claims from the child that Idle had grabbed him by his neck while spanking and kicking him several times.

Police reports advise that Idle admitted to spanking the child and holding him against the wall by the back of his neck before going to get his mother. Upon returning to the house, Idle said he then struck the child again and “gave him a kick in the butt” when the child tried to lie.

Idle had been an officer with the Ansonia Police Department since August 2017, according to Ansonia Police Chief Frank Shapiro. He was placed on administrative leave effective Aug. 4, and Idle made the decision to resign effective Aug. 14.

Idle had been released from jail after posting a $20,000 bond. Alex Pendl was appointed to the case, and there is a hearing scheduled for Aug. 10 at 11 a.m. Judge Travis L. Fliehman presiding.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].