Woman accused of headbutting a 6-year-old child is released

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Background: The Oregon, Ill. neighborhood where Martha Dunham allegedly assaulted a child (Google Maps). Inset: Martha Dunham (Ogle County Sheriff’s Office).

An Illinois woman was back on the streets after being jailed for allegedly assaulting a 6-year-old child in December.

Martha Dunham, 36, was ordered by a judge to stay away from children under the age of 18 as a condition of her release from the Ogle County Jail. Dunham was arrested on Dec. 13 on felony charges of aggravated battery of a child under 13 and domestic battery. During a court appearance on Jan. 9, she was released from jail and slapped with a protective order.

According to court records obtained by local news outlet Shaw Local, Dunham was accused of headbutting the child and pulling the child’s hair. The relationship between Dunham and the child was not disclosed, nor was Dunham’s relationship with the child’s mother, who asked for a protective order against Dunham. Records stated that the alleged assaults were “physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature.”

Dunham appeared in court on Dec. 23 and pleaded not guilty to the charges against her. A hearing on the protective order that was filed by the alleged victim’s mother after the December incident was held on Jan. 7. The mother asked for a two-year extension of the order, but when asked by Ogle County Judge Russell Crull if she would agree to the order, Dunham asked, “Can we do it until my criminal case is settled?”

Crull extended the order through Jan. 28. He then recused himself from any further proceedings citing a conflict of interest; he reportedly represented the child’s mother as a private defense attorney.

Another hearing was held on Jan. 9 in front of a new judge, Anthony Peska. While prosecutors reportedly asked that Dunham stay behind bars due to her previous domestic violence charges, which date back to 2006, Peska ordered that she be released on the condition that she makes no contact with any children under the age of 18. She will be back in court on Jan. 28 for another hearing regarding the protection order.

Dunham’s next court appearance for her criminal charges is on March 18.