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ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) — An Erwin man and woman have been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse, among other things, on Tuesday after an investigation revealed them to have been responsible for a child’s “serious bodily injury” in 2024.
James Roark, 31, and Cynthia Roark, 48, both of Union Street, were arrested after a Unicoi County grand jury returned a true bill of indictment Tuesday following a monthslong investigation.
According to Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Frank Rogers, the investigation began in October 2024 after the 11-year-old son of James Roark was treated at a hospital for serious bodily injuries. Cynthia Roark is reportedly the child’s stepmother.
Rogers said the child was taken out of the home some time ago, but it took time to bring the case in front of a grand jury.
The investigation revealed the Roarks were allegedly responsible for the child’s injuries, and the pair was both charged with the following:
- 2 counts of aggravated child abuse
- 3 counts of aggravated child neglect
- 1 count of especially aggravated kidnapping
“Well, the aggravated enhancement, there’s a couple of ways you get that,” Rogers told News Channel 11. “One is, you know, by the age of the child, but in this case, it’s due to the severity of the injuries.”
Rogers said once the couple is arraigned, more details about the case will become public, but added there’s other factors and events that were considered in addition to what led to the child being treated at the hospital in October.
“You know, there’s obviously concerns from other individuals with respect to the welfare of the child,” Rogers said.
The investigation was a group effort among the Unicoi County Sheriff’s Office, the Erwin Police Department, the Department of Children’s Services and the Department of Safety’s Office of Homeland Security.