BEDFORD – A Bedford man was arrested after Bedford Police say he injured a person under the age of 14.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on March 3, at 9:50 p.m. a man arrived at the Bedford Police Department with his children to report child abuse.
The children told their father that his ex-wife’s boyfriend 29-year-old Bradley Livingston had hurt them at the home they shared with their mother in the 2100 block of J Street.
One of the children told police that Livingston had “beat me up” repeatedly in the head to “make a man out of him.”
He has also spanked the children and locked a young boy in his room and punched a hole in the child’s bedroom door.
Investigators say the children were visibly upset when sharing what had happened to them.
The children also told investigators they witnessed Livingston destroy a television by punching it and he would drink alcohol in front of them.
One of the female children told police their mother told them not to ever tell anyone especially their father or “we would never be able to see her again.”
A grandparent also spoke to police and informed them about incidents between the children and Livingston.
The children told her they begged for Livingston to stop hurting their little brother but Livington had told the other children “he needs to toughen up.”
The Department of Child Services was contacted about the abuse and interviews were conducted at Susie’s Place Child Advocacy Center in Bloomington.
One of the girls told investigators that Livingston had slapped her little brother in the face causing his nose to bleed and then shook him using both of his hands.
One of the young girls told investigators Livingston had whipped her leaving bruises and abrasions on her lower back and buttocks. Livingston also removed all of her clothes and removed her mattress from her bedroom, making the child sleep on the floor. The child’s mother returned the items to the child’s room the next day.
The children told investigators their mother told them to lie to CPS about what was happening in the home.
Police and investigators then spoke with the children’s mother who denied any abuse in the home. When questioned about the different incidents, she denied anything happened and the children were making up the stories.
Police then spoke to Livingston and denied the children were afraid of him.
He denied hurting the children saying “that’s not true, that kid wakes up with a bloody nose.”
Livingston did say he wrestles with the kids, but it’s never been anything more than that and maybe the children were getting wrestling and beatings confused.
He also claims he only disciplines the children by taking items away from them and he never broke a television.
Throughout the interview, Livingston denied any truth to the allegations.
The information was forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office and a warrant was issued for Livingston’s arrest.
