A Kansas couple faces serious charges after allegedly subjecting a young child to abuse, which included striking her with a kitchen utensil and leaving her outdoors in freezing temperatures wearing only her underwear as punishment for wetting her pants.
According to court documents, Brady Burr, a firefighter in McPherson, and his girlfriend, Abby Bradstreet, who is an elementary school teacher, have been charged with child abuse and aggravated child endangerment. The incident reportedly occurred in early December.
A detailed affidavit, shared by user kc wildmoon on Scribd, provides more insight into the allegations against Bradstreet.
The couple was taken into custody on December 11 but was released later that day on bond. Official court records became available only this week, offering a clearer picture of the events.
The probable cause affidavit reveals that Burr, the child’s father, had picked up his children from a location in Salina on December 7 and returned them after the visitation ended. The following day, Salina Police alerted McPherson Police after one of the children disclosed details of the incident.
The child reported having wet her pants twice, leading Burr to admit that she was spanked as a consequence. Furthermore, he acknowledged that the child remained in her wet clothes while seated in a car seat, potentially leading to a rash on her skin.
The reporter told police that when she took the girl to get her pajamas on, she found that her “feet were red, almost purple, and super cold.” The girl said that she “got put on the porch by herself because she was bad.” She further said she had been forced from outside to watch while Burr, his girlfriend, and the other children decorated their Christmas tree.
The reporter said she saw no rash on the girl’s bottom but did see bruises on her lower back, and the girl told her the bruises were from the spanking she got. Burr had spanked her with a spoon, she said, and his girlfriend, Bradstreet, then put her outside.
During an interview with a child forensic interviewer, the girl said she’d been put outside without a coat or shoes, only her underwear. The girl further said Burr and Bradstreet made her eat dinner in the bathtub because she had peed in her pants and that both Burr and Bradstreet hit her with the cooking spoon.
Police said the temperature during the time the children were at Burr’s home never got above 30 degrees.
The court documents did not provide the girl’s age, but Law&Crime reported she was 4.
According to KAKE, Bradstreet was placed on administrative leave from her job as a second grade teacher at Washington Elementary, where she is also the head coach of the girls’ swim team. McPherson Fire Chief Chad Mayberry refused to comment on Burr’s status.
Hearings in the case are scheduled for January 13.
