Omaha police officer, wife face abuse chargesOmaha World-Herald
BY JOHN FERAK
February 8, 2008
[Excerpts] An Omaha police officer accused of repeatedly restraining his 13-year-old son - sometimes using police handcuffs and once for more than a day - pleaded not guilty Friday to felony child abuse charges. Fredric James, 39, a police detective, and his wife, Susan R. James, 42, appeared Friday before Douglas County Judge Craig McDermott. Both pleaded not guilty to four separate counts of felony child abuse. The judge told them that each charge carried up to five [years] in prison if they are convicted. The two were released on their own recognizance... Investigators determined that Fredric James confined and punished his son, [A.J.], by using police equipment to handcuff or "flex cuff" his son to immovable objects in their home for as little as an hour and for as long as 27 hours. The boy was home-schooled... "Mr. James believes he will ultimately walk out of court without this felony conviction," [Fredric James' attorney, Chad] Brown said. "Fred has worked hard to build his reputation professionally and personally for the community of Omaha, and he's saddened by these allegations"... [A.J] told a friend Jan. 14 that he was running away from his home because of abuse. The friend's mother then called 911. In an interview with police, the boy said that earlier that afternoon, his mother had struck him on the legs and lower back about 30 times with a fan belt. The boy told police that his father had handcuffed him to a pole in the basement of the residence on three separate occasions... A friend told investigators that he saw the boy handcuffed to a basement pole last Halloween for about 90 minutes as a punishment... During a second incident last October, the boy said, he was handcuffed to a pole in the family's basement overnight, but that incident lasted less than 24 hours. That time, the punishment was for using inhalant drugs. The boy told police he was not provided bedding but was given a bucket to use as a toilet...
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ReplyDeleteOmaha officer admits handcuffing son
ReplyDeleteKRVN
Published Friday, August 15, 2008 at 08:25 AM
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) _ Douglas County Attorney Done Kleine says he'll drop felony child abuse charges against an Omaha police officer now that the officer had admitted he handcuffed his 13-year-old son. Officer Fredric James admitted in juvenile court on Thursday that he repeatedly handcuffed the boy as punishment for misdeeds, sometimes for hours. Kleine says he'll drop charges against James and his wife, Susan. They each faced four counts for separate instances. Susan James was not accused of handcuffing the boy, but she admitted in court that she didn't provide him with appropriate care. Kleine says the goal is to prevent James from using excessive discipline on his children. The boy has been placed outside the home, and the admissions in court are a step toward the Jameses' efforts to reunite with their son.