CHARLES CITY, Iowa – A Floyd County man stands accused of hitting a child in the head with a frying pan.
Barth Joseph Lemke, 52 of Charles City, is charged with child endangerment, a class “D” felony. A criminal complaint was filed against Lemke on June 7 and he was arrested on June 21.
According to court documents, a 10-year-old child was interviewed at the Child Protection Center in Waterloo in May. Lemke was accused of hitting the child with the frying pan, slapping and throwing the child around, and calling the child “worthless.” A medical exam at the Child Protection Center did find a bruise on the child’s leg.
Authorities say this abuse happened from 2016 through 2018.
A class “D” felony in Iowa in punishable by up to five years in prison.