Dad charged with forcing 12-year-old son to wear shock collar (Knoxville, Iowa)

Is DANIEL HARDWICK a custodial father? Notice that there is no mention of a mother anywhere in this account, just an unidentified "woman" (girlfriend?). What happened to Mom and how did daddy get access?

This sounds like one sick pup of a daddy....

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130731/NEWS/307310047/Knoxville-dad-says-he-didn-t-shock-his-son

Knoxville dad says he didn't shock his son
Jul. 31, 2013

Written by Jason Noble

KNOXVILLE, IA. — The Knoxville man accused of forcing his 12-year-old son to wear a shock collar denied ever actually shocking the boy, according to an arrest report obtained by The Des Moines Register. 

Daniel Hardwick, 35, told police he put the collar on his son to “motivate” him to do chores and admitted to allegations that he had restrained the boy in a high chair on the curb outside the house as punishment for refusing to eat. But he disputed allegations that he had shocked the boy, beaten him with a leather leash or locked him in a kennel.

The child, however, told an Iowa Department of Human Services caseworker that his father had once used the dog collar’s vibration and shock settings on him and that Hardwick “only hits him with the leather dog leash when he is bad.”

Hardwick’s arrest happened Thursday, after police responded to a request from DHS to accompany the caseworker to Hardwick’s home just two blocks from the police department in downtown Knoxville.

Police arrested Hardwick at that time, and he’s since been charged with neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, a felony. He was released from jail after posting bond Monday. The Marion County attorney said Tuesday that Hardwick has a court appearance scheduled for Friday.

Knoxville Police Chief Daniel Losada said Tuesday that DHS “made arrangements to make sure the child was safe,” although he did not elaborate. Other children, he said, remained at the home. A spokesman for DHS said the agency could not comment on specific cases.

On Tuesday, Knoxville police appeared to remove evidence from Hardwick’s home, including a high chair that had been sitting in the yard outside the house.

About 1:30 p.m., three police officers parked vehicles in front of the home, and two went inside while the other remained on the porch, talking to a small child through a screen door. After about 10 minutes, the officers emerged carrying an object in a gray plastic bag and then loaded the high chair into a police truck. 

The chair was later seen being carried into the police station.

Losada acknowledged his officers were continuing to work on the case but declined to comment on the items collected Tuesday afternoon. “There is an investigation going on as we speak,” he said shortly after the police left the residence.

Hardwick and a woman were home when the police arrived Tuesday afternoon. The woman said they had been advised by an attorney not to speak with the media. A neighbor, Scott Collins, who lives two doors down, said he knew little about Hardwick or others living at the house.

He said he hadn’t even been aware there were children living there, although he had noticed a perpetual garage sale display that included many children’s items.