Man charged with hitting boy with frying pan

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Charles City man has been charged with felony child endangerment for allegedly slapping, hitting and throwing a 10-year-old boy and hitting him in the head with a frying pan.

Barth Joseph Lemke, 56, was arrested Thursday in Charles City by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office.

The criminal complaint, filed June 7, said the boy was interviewed at the Allen Child Protection Center in Waterloo on May 14.

During the interview the boy said Lemke “hit him in the head with a frying pan, slaps him, throws him around, hits his hands and tells him he is worthless,” the court document states.

The report said that the boy had a bruise on his leg that was seen during a medical exam and the boy said Lemke caused it.

Child endangerment with injuries is a Class D felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and/or a $7,500 fine.

Lemke was being held in the Floyd County Jail on $5,000 cash bond. He was scheduled to make his initial appearance in court Friday morning.