Idaho Parents Accused of Abusing 7-Year-Old, Slamming Her Head Into Electric Box at Aquarium

Two Idaho parents have been charged with child abuse after surveillance video allegedly showed them “bonking” their 7-year-old daughter and slamming her head against an electrical box. The incident reportedly took place at the East Idaho Aquarium in Idaho Falls on February 8.

The child had previously confided in her grandmother about the alleged abuse.

Zachary Royce Olpin, 30, is facing one felony count and one misdemeanor count of injury to a child. Megan Anne Olpin, 31, was charged with felony aggravated battery, felony injury to a child, and misdemeanor injury of a child, the East Idaho News reported.

According to authorities, Megan was caught on camera striking the girl multiple times in the face with a shoe while dragging her around the aquarium. At one point in the video, she is seen knocking her daughter down to the ground.

Zachary is seen hitting the girl’s head against a wall, a wooden structure, and an electric box before carrying her out of the aquarium.

The child’s grandmother later showed investigators several pictures of the girl with bruises all over her body. The girl told her grandmother that her mother had also hit her in the mouth.

During an interrogation at their Pocatello home, the father told investigators that the electric box incident was an accident. Megan admitted to hitting the child with a shoe and a set of car keys once.

After a medical evaluation was performed on the child, she was placed in the custody of her grandmother. Medical experts stated that she had no broken bones nor concussions.

On February 12, Zachary and Megan were interrogated again, during which the couple expressed regret for their actions and allegedly wrote apology letters. They said they realized they were out of line.

When the 7-year-old girl was interviewed by authorities at the Upper Valley Child Advocacy Center, she said her mother had “bonked” her head with a shoe. She said her father continued “bonking” her head because he was angry with her. She also said that her mother once scratched her hand with a key.

The parents are scheduled to appear for a preliminary court hearing at 1 p.m. on March 24 before Magistrate Judge Wiley Dennert. They are being held at the Bonneville County Jail, authorities said.