Bradenton man facing additional child abuse charges

MANATEE -- A Bradenton man is facing additional child abuse charges after the investigation of how his girlfriend's 19-month-old daughter's suffered a broken leg revealed it was not the first time the girl, as well as his sons, had been abused.

Roger Franklin Young, 32, was first arrested on Friday night and charged with aggravated child abuse after authorities say he admitted he could have set his girlfriend's daughter too hard on the hardwood floor when he pulled her off the couch. His girlfriend, Cherie Matthews, had been at work.

On Monday, Young was charged with two additional counts of child abuse. He appeared before Circuit Judge Scott Brownell twice on Tuesday afternoon, initially for a first appearance hearing during which Brownell set bonds for Young's new charges. He is now being held on bonds totaling $95,000 at the Manatee County jail.

Shortly after, Young appeared before Brownell in dependency court for a hearing a request from the Florida Department of Children and Families to take his children into protective custody.

Investigators were informed by emergency room staff that the girl had been treated two months prior for an injury to the same leg while in Young's care as well.

The then 17-month-old girl had been discharged on Nov. 27 from the emergency room at Manatee Memorial Hospital with a muscle bruise to her leg, according to one of Young's latest arrest reports. On Friday, a doctor at the hospital confirmed that the girl had a healing tibia fracture in the same leg where a femur fracture had been found.

During Friday night's interview, Young admitted to being at fault for the previous injury, according to investigators,

"He said he was the only adult home with her at the time and he 'popped her too hard,'" investigator Joni Zimmerman wrote in the report. "He has admitted anger problems and admitted he gets frustrated too easily, especially with (the girl) crying and fussing all the time. He said he never meant to hurt her."

Investigators also spoke with Young's mother who told them she had questioned her son because she knew there had too be more to the story. She said her son told her it was a V-Tech toy laptop he claimed the girl fell onto, but that she found that toy out on the lanai and that her son never cleans or moves their toys so the story didn't "add-up," investigators said.

During Friday's interview, Young admitted to causing belt marks while disciplining his son. A doctor with child protective services said that the bruises were consistent with abuse.

Young's sons told investigators during a forensic interview on Saturday, that their father had hit them with a belt for playing with their Nerf guns outside when it was dark.

Matthews was also in court Tuesday afternoon for a hearing after her daughter was placed into protective custody.

Brownell found probable cause for Matthews' 19-month-old daughter to be placed into DCF's protective custody.

Brownell explained he found good cause for the order because evidence suggests the possibility existed that the parent -- Matthews -- ignored the child's prior injury from abuse.

While facing no criminal charges in this case currently, Matthews was charged with manslaughter of a child by culpable negligence in the death of her 6-month-old daughter, Izabella, in March 2013.

On April 27, 2012, Matthews fell asleep while high on drugs and then her Izabella rolled off a bed. landing face down in a laundry basket full of clothes. The girl died as a result.

Matthews was pregnant when she pleaded no contest to a count of child neglect March 14, 2014, as part of a plea deal.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Bradenton man facing additional child abuse charges ."