Winfield Township man charged with assaulting children
A Winfield Township man was charged Monday, Feb. 5, with assaulting several children.
Paul S. Brosenitsch, 50, of Cabot, was placed in the county prison in lieu of $10,000 bail following his arraignment on a felony count of endangering the welfare of children, misdemeanor charges of simple assault and reckless endangerment and a summary charge of harassment that were filed by state police.
The alleged assaults were reported to police Oct. 27 after a county Children & Youth Service caseworker conducted a visit at Brosenitsch’s home after a ChildLine report accused Brosenitsch of assaulting a 13-year-old girl on Oct. 25, according to an affidavit.
Police said forensic interviews were conducted with five children, ages 13, 12, 11, 9 and 6, on Nov. 1.
The 13-year-old girl told police Brosenitsch hit her head against a wall several times and then placed his hands around her neck.
She told police he put her in a chokehold after she intervened on behalf of a 12-year-old girl Brosenitsh had put in a chokehold, and the incident was captured on camera.
An 11-year-old boy told investigators that he saw Brosenitsch punch a 9-year-old boy, who was diagnosed with a heart condition at birth, in the heart more than once, which made it difficult for him to breath, according to the affidavit.
During a Nov. 2 interview, Brosenitsch told police he threw the 13-year-old girl against the wall several times because she started hitting him after her headphones broke.
He said he threw her a second time because she didn’t stop, and put her in a headlock to show her what a control move looked like, according to the affidavit. Brosenitsch confirmed the 9-year-old boy was diagnosed with a heart condition that required surgery recently, police said.
In a Nov. 14 interview with the children’s mother, she told police the 13-year-old girl had a swollen lip on Oct. 26.