Couple charged with child endangerment

A Clear Lake couple has been charged with child endangerment as a result of alleged incidents at their unregistered daycare.

Kyle McLaughlin, 55, has been charged with two counts of child endangerment while 57-year-old Peggy McLaughlin is facing one count of child endangerment.  Both McLaughlins were arrested late last week and have posted $5,000 cash bond. They are both scheduled to make their initial court appearance today (Wednesday, July 31).

On-line court documents show Kyle McLaughlin is accused in December 2016 of hitting a three-

[wlm_nonmember]To read more of this article, please login or sign up for our E-Edition[/wlm_nonmember][wlm_ismember]

year-old boy in the back with enough force to  leave a visible welt or bruise.

Both McLaughlins are also charged in connection with a 20-month-old girl who suffered a broken leg in August 2017. The child’s parents contend when they picked their child up from daycare she was crying and not able to walk. A hospital examination showed a spiral fracture of the right tibia.  Officials say Kyle McLaughlin did not offer any explanation for how the injury happened, while Peggy McLaughlin said the girl may have fallen off an activity center in the basement.

Peggy McLaughlin reportedly had operated a registered daycare for 22 years until the couple decided in 2015 that they did not want to allow unannounced annual inspections of their home. Since that time, authorities say they’ve operated an unregistered daycare that was only legally allowed to have a maximum of five children at any time.

Each charge of child endangerment is an aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $6,250.

[/wlm_ismember]