CALLENDER, Iowa — An Iowa man facing sex abuse charges is now accused of punching a child at least 25 times, authorities said.
Joseph Danniel Hill, 26, of Callender, was charged with two counts of child endangerment causing bodily injury and two counts of assault while participating in a felony, all Class D felonies. He was also charged with four counts of possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act, all aggravated misdemeanors, according to Webster County online court records.
In May, Hill was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual abuse, a Class B felony; and five counts of child endangerment resulting in bodily injury, The Messenger of Fort Dodge reported. He entered a plea of not guilty and waived his right to a speedy trial on June 28, according to the newspaper.
According to a criminal complaint, authorities in Webster County said they found two videos on Hill’s cellphone that showed him punching the child, KCCI-TV reported. In one of the videos, Hill is seen striking the toddler eight times. In the second video, Hill is shown striking the same child 17 times.
The child was younger than 2 years old at the time of the alleged assaults, according to the television station.
“These closed fist punches would cause pain and discomfort to an adult, let alone a less than 2-year-old child,” the Webster County Sheriff’s Office wrote in the criminal complaint.
Hill had his initial appearance in Webster County Magistrate Court on Thursday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8.
Hill is being held in jail on a $160,000 cash-only bond, online records show.
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