TOOELE, Utah (ABC4) — A Tooele man’s charges were amended on Monday for allegedly taking inappropriate photos of a toddler and then pouring scalding water on the child.
Kelsey Ryan Tanner, 30, was charged on May 1 with aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. On May 11, his charges were amended to include aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony, and 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, all second-degree felonies.
According to charging documents, Tanner told authorities he was giving the toddler a bath, and the water was lukewarm. When he went to grab a towel, the water allegedly became scaldingly hot, and the child fell into the bathtub into the hot water. However, authorities believe this is false.
The child reportedly had burns primarily on the genital area and inner thighs. According to the authorities, Tanner likely poured scalding water directly on the child while he held them down.
During the investigation of the incident, on May 10, detectives learned that Tanner possessed several inappropriate pictures of the child on his cellphone. The pictures were taken approximately 3 and a half hours before the child was burned, the charging record states.
Tanner’s next scheduled court date is a scheduled conference on May 15 with the 3rd District Court.