A Rocky Grove man is facing charges for frequently striking three children who lived in his house and smoking marijuana around them.
Sugarcreek police said in a criminal complaint they received a report Friday that a three-year-old boy had been struck by James Koch, 41, and there were bruises on the boy’s body.
When police arrived at Koch’s McCalmont Street residence, they noted a strong smell of burnt marijuana coming form inside the house, the complaint said.
Loose marijuana was sitting on a table in plain view in the house, so police took Koch into custody before continuing their investigation, the complaint said.
Police then spoke to others involved with the family as well as the two other children who lived in the house, the complaint said. All the children were Koch’s children or stepchildren, according to the complaint.
She said Koch would make the children go upstairs and stay there unless it was time to eat and that she had seen him grab the third child, a nine-year-old boy, by the neck and pick him up off the ground, the complaint said.
The girl also said Koch smokes marijuana in the house regularly, the complaint said.
The nine-year-old boy told police he had been hit with a “belt, hand or other items” as well as being grabbed by the front of his neck, according to the complaint.
Koch was charged with three felony counts of endangering the welfare of children an two misdemeanor counts of simple assault.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 22 in Venango County Central Court.
