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Left: Zachary Olpin. Right: Megan Olpin (Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The East Idaho Aquarium in Idaho Falls where Zachary Olpin and Megan Olpin were allegedly caught on camera abusing their 7-year-old daughter (Google Maps).
An Idaho couple is facing serious allegations of abusing their 7-year-old daughter during a visit to an aquarium. According to police, the young girl reported that her parents repeatedly struck her on the head out of anger. Surveillance footage allegedly captures the father forcefully hitting her head against a metal electrical box.
Zachary Olpin, 30, and Megan Olpin, 31, are charged in Bonneville County with several offenses connected to this alleged abuse, as detailed in court documents reviewed by Law&Crime.
Zachary Olpin is charged with a felony count and a misdemeanor count of child injury. Meanwhile, Megan Olpin faces charges of felony aggravated battery, felony injury to a child, and misdemeanor child injury.
According to documents obtained by East Idaho News, the couple’s daughter recounted the alleged assaults to investigators following an incident caught on surveillance at the East Idaho Aquarium in Idaho Falls on February 8. The Olpins reportedly attempted to minimize the situation, with Zachary claiming the electrical box incident was accidental and Megan admitting to only hitting the child once with a shoe and a set of keys.
Authorities allege that the surveillance video shows the couple repeatedly striking their daughter and dragging her around the aquarium. Megan Olpin is seen hitting the child with a shoe, causing her to fall, while Zachary allegedly continued to push her down each time she tried to stand.
At one point, Zachary Olpin can be seen on the surveillance tape carrying the girl and slamming her head against a wooden structure, according to the documents obtained by East Idaho News. He allegedly used his shoulder to force the child’s head into the electrical box at least three times before leaving the aquarium with her.
Police say child advocates spoke to the 7-year-old and she told them her parents “bonked” her on the head with a shoe and continued “bonking” her because they were mad at her.
The Olpins eventually admitted that their behavior was out of line, according to the court documents, and wrote apology letters expressing their regret.
The Idaho Falls Police Department arrested the couple and booked them in the Bonneville County Jail. They’re both due in court on March 24 for their preliminary hearings, according to court records.