Authorities had to restrain family members Tuesday after a judge dismissed a Forsyth County father’s application to have another man arrested for biting his child.
Paul Holbrook sought to have Kent Nelson charged after Holbrook’s 8-year-old daughter came home Aug. 29 with bite marks on the back of her leg after an overnight visit with Nelson’s daughter.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter, but did not charge Nelson.
As a result, Holbrook applied for a warrant to have Nelson arrested on charges of battery and cruelty to children.
Following Tuesday morning’s hearing, Forsyth County Magistrate Judge Pamela Boles said one of the elements required to establish battery, or any other charge, is the name of the county in which the alleged incident happened.
“I did not get a county on where this occurred,” she said in dismissing Holbrook’s request.
Following her decision, Holbrook and other family members yelled at Nelson.
“I hope you’re happy,” Holbrook said.
Nelson said he wasn’t.
Holbrook then held up a poster showing pictures of the marks on his daughter’s leg.
“You see what that [expletive] did to my daughter?” he yelled.
Sheriff’s deputies escorted Holbrook and his family members out of the courtroom while Nelson stayed inside.
Holbrook’s attorney, Peter Zeliff, said he planned to apply for another hearing “immediately.”
As of Wednesday morning, one had not been scheduled.
Nelson, who was not represented by an attorney, testified that the bite was the result of “horseplay” and said he also bit his own daughter.
“I did not mean to harm her,” he said. “I was not angry with her.”
Nelson said they were “emulating” a scene from the movie “Ghostbusters.”
He added that the girl, who spent the night, told him she was fine and never asked to call her parents. The next morning, she asked him to make pancakes for breakfast.
Nelson, who said the girl and his daughter had been friends for two years, described what happened as an isolated incident.
He keeps other children in the afternoons, he said, and their parents have not removed them from his care.
Nelson also said he’d had about two glasses of wine that night, but was not drunk.
Holbrook testified that Nelson’s wife sent him an e-mail after the incident, saying Nelson might have an alcohol problem and had bitten his own daughter before.
Holbrook said his daughter was physically examined to ensure she had not been sexually assaulted.
“She’s had bad dreams of people biting her, of things biting her,” he said. “She also told my wife she’s afraid of Mr. Nelson.”
Paul Holbrook sought to have Kent Nelson charged after Holbrook’s 8-year-old daughter came home Aug. 29 with bite marks on the back of her leg after an overnight visit with Nelson’s daughter.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter, but did not charge Nelson.
As a result, Holbrook applied for a warrant to have Nelson arrested on charges of battery and cruelty to children.
Following Tuesday morning’s hearing, Forsyth County Magistrate Judge Pamela Boles said one of the elements required to establish battery, or any other charge, is the name of the county in which the alleged incident happened.
“I did not get a county on where this occurred,” she said in dismissing Holbrook’s request.
Following her decision, Holbrook and other family members yelled at Nelson.
“I hope you’re happy,” Holbrook said.
Nelson said he wasn’t.
Holbrook then held up a poster showing pictures of the marks on his daughter’s leg.
“You see what that [expletive] did to my daughter?” he yelled.
Sheriff’s deputies escorted Holbrook and his family members out of the courtroom while Nelson stayed inside.
Holbrook’s attorney, Peter Zeliff, said he planned to apply for another hearing “immediately.”
As of Wednesday morning, one had not been scheduled.
Nelson, who was not represented by an attorney, testified that the bite was the result of “horseplay” and said he also bit his own daughter.
“I did not mean to harm her,” he said. “I was not angry with her.”
Nelson said they were “emulating” a scene from the movie “Ghostbusters.”
He added that the girl, who spent the night, told him she was fine and never asked to call her parents. The next morning, she asked him to make pancakes for breakfast.
Nelson, who said the girl and his daughter had been friends for two years, described what happened as an isolated incident.
He keeps other children in the afternoons, he said, and their parents have not removed them from his care.
Nelson also said he’d had about two glasses of wine that night, but was not drunk.
Holbrook testified that Nelson’s wife sent him an e-mail after the incident, saying Nelson might have an alcohol problem and had bitten his own daughter before.
Holbrook said his daughter was physically examined to ensure she had not been sexually assaulted.
“She’s had bad dreams of people biting her, of things biting her,” he said. “She also told my wife she’s afraid of Mr. Nelson.”