A Douglas County couple were arrested this week and charged with more than 20 counts of child abuse after a two-week investigation, officials said Friday.
Cristian Anthony Stern, an EMT, and Logan Steele, the mother of the 2-year-old, were arrested Monday, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. The alleged abuse was reported March 22 by a “concerned citizen” and deputies began an investigation.
Stern, 19, was charged with aggravated assault related to strangulation, cruelty to children in the first degree and sexual battery. Steele, 20, was charged with cruelty to children in the second degree, accomplice to child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Both were also charged with submitting a false statement.
Authorities confirmed Stern was not the child’s father.
Stern has worked with several metro Atlanta ambulance services, the sheriff’s office said. He is also active in the Georgia National Guard.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Douglas County agency is looking into the possibility of additional victims. Anyone who has experienced abuse, or whose child has been abused, is asked to contact Investigator Andrew Hynninen at 678-486-1245 or at Ahynninen@sheriff.douglas.ga.us.
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