Sheboygan, WI (WHBL) - When the mother of a four-year-old boy left her son in the care of 21-year-old David B Rhynes on Wednesday, September 30,2015, she expected to return home to normal circumstances. That was not the case. Instead, Rhynes, her boyfriend and roommate informed the woman that her son had some injuries resulting from the two wrestling.
The mother called Sheboygan police to investigate after discovering that her son was covered in bruises and abrasions on his forehead, his back, and on his chest.
A criminal complaint filed in Sheboygan County Court states that when the child was taken to a Sheboygan Hospital emergency room, he told police, “David hit me.”
Officers interviewed Rhynes and he admitted to wrestling the four-year-old. Rynes told the officers that he had taken the child to a park earlier in the day and when they returned home, the child was still, “rambunctious.” So, he asked the child if he wanted to wrestle. Rhynes says he has a wrestling background and is aware that it only takes 5lbs of pressure to break a bone. He says that is why he only used half the pressure when wrestling the four-year-old. Rhynes also told the cops that the child was crying at times and complaining of being in pain, but he aslo says the child laughed sometimes too.
Rhynes demonstrated on a doll for police the various wrestling moves that he used on the child. They included a headlock and pinning the child to the floor, among other moves.
Apparently, this is not Rhynes' first time wrestling young children, nor the first time the wrestling children resulted in injury. According to the criminal complaint, Rhynes says he has wrestled with children before, including his relatives. He says those children usually, “got scraped” as well.
Rynes is charged with one count of physical abuse of a child-intentionally causing bodily harm. He could face up to six years in jail and fines of up to $10,000, if convicted.