A Stroud couple has been charged with abuse and enabling abuse of three children, but the woman reportedly was a victim of domestic violence herself.
Vernon James Reinhardt, Jr., 43 faces three felonies including physical abuse of a minor, lewd acts to child under 16 and domestic violence in presence of a minor. The three charges were formally filed in Lincoln County District Court on April 8.
Melissa Suzanne Reinhardt, 39, was formally charged April 8 in Lincoln County District Court with enabling physical abuse of a minor and child neglect.
Special Judge Emily Mueller set a $100,000 bond for Vernon Reinhardt, Jr., with the condition he have no contact with Melissa Reinhardt and the children. An initial appearance for Vernon was held on April 8.
The judge scheduled a pre-preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m., June 3.
Judge Mueller set a bond of $25,000 for Melissa with the stipulation she is to have no unsupervised contact with the children. She made her initial appearance before the judge on April 8 and her pre-preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on June 3 as well.
Stroud police and Lincoln County Child Welfare of the Department of Human Services conducted the investigation.
In Count 1 against Vernon he is accused of on about March 1 of this year, at 420 W. 8th Street in Stroud, of committing the crime of physical abuse of a minor by wrongfully and with force and violence of grabbing a 16-year-old by the neck and face and shoving the 16-year-old against a wall.
Count 2 against Vernon alleges on about the same date and in the days, weeks and months preceding at that same address committing the crime of Lewd Acts to a Child Under 16 by grabbing and squeezing a certain area of an 11-year-old child in a lewd and lascivious manner and on more than one occasion.
Count 3, Domestic Violence in presence of a minor, accuses Vernon on about the same date at that same address committing Domestic Violence by wrongfully and with force and violence grabbing his spouse, Melissa Suzanne Reinhardt, and shoving her face violently against the kitchen sink while in the presence of a 16-yearold.
Count 1 against Vernon, if convicted, is punishable by all the way up to life imprisonment. Count 2 against him, if convicted, could bring a prison term not less than 25 years.
Count 3 is a misdemeanor and if convicted he could face not less than six months nor more than a year in county jail and by a fine not to exceed $5,000 or by both fine and imprisonment.
Count 1 against Melissa alleges on about March 1 this year and in the Count 2 against Melissa states that on that same date and in the days, weeks and months preceding, at 420 W. 8th Street in Stroud, she committed the crime of Child Neglect.
If convicted of Count 1, Melissa could face a sentence up to life imprisonment and if convicted on Count 2, that is punishable by imprisonment in the Department of Corrections not exceeding a life term.
Stroud police transported both defendants to the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler.