W’burg mother faces child abuse, endangerment charges

A Williamsburg mother is facing abuse and endangerment charges after police found bite and burn marks and numerous bruises on her three young children, according to her arrest citations.

Desirae Leach is charged with child abuse and wanton endangerment.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Ridener arrested Desirae Alice Leach, 22, of Highway 1804, about 11:31 p.m. Monday on Trillium Way, and charged her with three counts each of first-degree criminal abuse, first-degree wanton endangerment, and failure to report child dependency, neglect or abuse. She was also charged with public intoxication controlled substance excludes alcohol.

The arrest stems from an incident on Dec. 4 that occurred about noon near Highway 1804, according to an arrest citation.

Ridener first began investigating the case after being called to Baptist Health Corbin’s emergency room in reference to an abuse complaint.

When he arrived at the hospital, the nursing staff introduced him to the three victims ages, one, two and three years old.

“All three victims had numerous bruises on or about their buttocks, backs, faces, legs and arms, as well as bite marks and burn marks. Bruises far exceeded any sort of disciplinary action,” Ridener wrote.

Leach informed police that her husband, who is the children’s biological father, allegedly had been abusing the children for about two weeks, according to an arrest citation.

She also told police that her husband would leave the residence and take her phone.

“Above (Leach) made no attempt to take the children and leave the residence to go to a safe environment with them,” Ridener wrote.

Leach was allegedly manifestly under the influence of a controlled substance and told police she had used meth recently, a citation stated.

The children had apparently not been bathed for at least one week, and had dirty clothes on, according to a citation.

“Mother also stated she did not stop father from abusing the children or call 911 because she cared for him and wanted to get him help,” Ridener wrote.

He added on a second arrest citation that Leach allegedly did nothing to stop the abuse or report the abuse allowing it to continue in extreme indifference to the value of her children’s lives.

A worker for the Kentucky Department of Community-Based Services was listed as a witness in the case.

Leach is lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.