The BEATTY-DANAHER Children - 12, 9 and 8 yo/ Accused: Christopher Carlson - Indianapolis IN/Flagstaff AZ

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The mother of three Indiana
boys who authorities said were hit, pushed, choked, pinched and squeezed
by their grandfather during a hellish 19-mile hike in the Grand Canyon
said Thursday she wants to "know what the hell happened" during the
hike.Christopher Carlson, 45, of Indianapolis, was charged with
six counts of child abuse. He was being held in an Arizona jail as
prosecutors build a case against him.National Park Service
employees and federal investigators said Carlson forced his
grandchildren -- Kevin, 12, Micah, 9, and Kameron, 8 -- to walk along a
sun-baked trail as the temperature exceeded 100 degrees, denying them
food and water while beating them.Carlson and the children had been hiking for several weeks
in August, authorities said. A ranger with binoculars spotted the group
on its most recent hike -- a trek last weekend on the popular Bright
Angel Trail and saw Carlson shoving the oldest boy and whipping him with
a rolled-up T-shirt, according to court documents.Rangers fed
and hydrated the boys and they were placed in the care of Child
Protective Services. One boy had symptoms of heat stroke, while the
other two exhibited signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration.National
Park Service Special Agent Chris Smith testified at a hearing Thursday
that Carlson told authorities that the boys had been overweight and that
he thought the hike would get them into shape."He told me that
he loved his grandchildren very much, but at the same time there were
tough people in the world and his grandchildren needed to be tough as
well," Smith said.Authorities said Carlson tortured and beat the
boys, and instructed them to lie to park rangers about any injuries.
Rangers and passers-by noted the alleged abuse by Carlson, according to
court documents.The boys said Carlson also forced their fingers down their throats, making them vomit.The
Bright Angel Trail can be deceiving. It starts at the top of the canyon
at around 7,000 feet in elevation and drops to 2,400 feet by the river,
and the temperature varies widely. The Park Service advises hikers not
to make the trip to the river and back in one day. Warning signs are
posted at the trailhead and along the trail.Carlson took the
children on the latest hike on Sunday when the temperature hit 108
degrees at Phantom Ranch by the Colorado River. A man died the same day
on another trail at the Grand Canyon because of heat exposure.
Defense attorney Luke Mulligan questioned the children's statements,
saying it seemed improbable that they could have completed the hike
without food and water. He also said the rangers could have removed the
children from the canyon had they believed the children were at risk of
serious injury or death."If the rangers didn't perceive it, are we going to put an extra burden on my client to perceive it?" Mulligan said.But
prosecutors said a ranger was successful in preventing Carlson from
reaching the river on an earlier hike on Aug. 15, cooling down the
children and giving a heads-up to other authorities in the park. Camille
Bibles said Carlson was intent on avoiding rangers during the second
trip."We're looking at the defendant's actions here, not putting the rangers on trial," she said.A
federal magistrate found probable cause for allegations of child abuse
and determined that Carlson was a flight risk and a danger to children.The
boy's mother, Tara Danaher, of Indianapolis, sobbed at the hearing. She
said her children went on trips with their grandfather this summer,
including to Central America and Jamaica, where they have family
friends. The highlight of the latest trip that included the Grand Canyon
was supposed to be Disneyland, she said.Danaher, 28, said she talked with her children throughout the summer and that they never expressed any concerns."I
don't want to say I can't believe it because anything is possible in
this world," she said during breaks in the hearing. "I want to know what
the hell happened."The boys' father, Kevin Beatty, 34, told 6News Thursday that he's outraged by the allegations of abuse."I'm
hurt that all this happened. I'm trying to fight back the tears. I
really want to cry," Beatty said. "This is what grandfathers should not
be."Beatty said he could not believe the physical and emotional
abuse his three sons allegedly suffered while vacationing with their
grandfather in Arizona.Investigators said Beatty and Danaher were
never married. Because of custody issues, Beatty said he has not been
allowed to visit his sons since December 2008. He said he is leaving to
go to Arizona on Saturday.Carlson is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 7.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/29060494/detail.html

FLAGSTAFF - The man accused of beating and abusing his kids at the Grand Canyon is now facing federal charges.
Christopher Carlson, 45, has been indicted on six counts of child abuse.
Park
rangers say his three young grandsons -- ages 8, 9, and 12 -- were
forced to walk 19 miles a day in the triple-digit temperatures.
Court paperwork shows he refused to give them food or water. Other hikers called 911.
Carlson told detectives he was only trying to prepare his grandsons for the cruel world and to make them stronger.
Carlson is set to appear in a federal courtroom in Phoenix on Sept. 28.
Christopher Carlson has two prior felony drug convictions.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/crime/grand-canyon-child-abuse-suspect-indicted-9-21-2011

Grandfather accused of taking children on "brutal hikes" enters not guilty plea
Christopher Carlson entered a not guilty plea to six counts of Knowing Child Abuse in a Phoenix, Ariz., courtroom.

8:56 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2011

Phoenix, Ariz.

An Indianapolis grandfather accused of taking three children on "brutal hikes" through the Grand Canyon appeared in court Wednesday.

Christopher Carlson entered a not guilty plea to six counts of Knowing Child Abuse in a Phoenix, Ariz., courtroom.

Carlson is accused of beating his 12, 9 and 8-year-old grandsons and making them walk on ulcerated blisters on two separate hikes as part of a cross-country vacation back in August. He is accused of denying them food and water and of keeping them out despite intense heat.

The boys said Carlson "hit, pushed, choked, kicked, pinched, squeezed, and whipped (them)" during the hikes.

The children were placed in protective custody and examined by a physician. The boys all showed physical evidence of ongoing abuse, according to court documents. The oldest boy also described symptoms of potentially fatal heat stroke.

The six counts carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

Carlson's trial is set to begin in November.

http://www.fox59.com/news/crime/wxin-christopher-carlson-grandfather-accused-of-taking-children-on-brutal-hikes-enters-not-guilty-plea-20110928,0,6338921.column

A federal trial is set to begin Wednesday for
an Indiana man accused of forcing his grandsons to hike for miles in
the Grand Canyon without food or water in brutal August heat.
Christopher Alan Carlson of Indianapolis has pleaded not guilty to six counts of child abuse.
His
grandsons, who were 12, 9 and 8 years old at the time, told
investigators that Carlson hit, pushed, choked, and squeezed them, and
forced their fingers down their throats to make them vomit during trips
into the Grand Canyon.
A ranger with
binoculars spotted the group on what would be the last of the hikes on
Aug. 28, when the temperature soared to 108 degrees and a man died on
another trail from heat exposure. The ranger reported seeing Carlson
shoving the oldest boy and whipping him with a rolled-up T-shirt.
Rangers
fed the boys and gave them water after one showed symptoms of heat
stroke and the other two had signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration,
authorities said. The boys were placed in the care of state Child
Protective Services.
Investigators say
Carlson told them that the boys were overweight and that he thought
hiking the Grand Canyon would help get them into shape.
"He
told me that he loved his grandchildren very much, but at the same time
there were tough people in the world and his grandchildren needed to be
tough as well," National Park Service Special Agent Chris Smith said at
the time.
Defense attorneys have
questioned the boys' statements, saying it seemed improbable that they
could have gone on such a hike without food and water.
The
boys' mother, Tara Danaher of Indianapolis, sobbed at a court hearing
Sept. 1 and said her children went on trips with Carlson over the
summer, including to Central America and Jamaica.
She said she talked with her children throughout the summer and they never expressed any concerns.
The highlight of the latest trip that included the Grand Canyon was supposed to be Disneyland, she said.
http://www.kpho.com/story/16938994/trial-to-start-in-forced-grand-canyon-hikes

I'm skeptical of this mother's tale. Why would her children not tell her of such abuse? There is more to this and I hope it comes out.

The trial of an Indiana man accused of forcing his grandsons on two
grueling hikes in the Grand Canyon in August is set to continue Tuesday
with testimony from park rangers and others who saw the group during
their treks.
The testimony could wrap up Tuesday or Wednesday and will be followed by closing arguments from the prosecution and defense.

Forty-five-year-old Christopher Alan Carlson of Indianapolis faces
life in prison if convicted of any one of the six felony child abuse
counts against him.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors have alleged that Carlson deprived his three grandsons of
food and water, and pushed, choked and repeatedly kicked them during
hikes on Aug. 15 and Aug. 28.

The boys were 8, 9 and 12 at the time.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/justice/apx-AZGrand-CanyonChild-Abuse_34254659-02212012

PHOENIX — A grandfather who forced his grandsons on
two grueling hikes in the Grand Canyon in searing August heat was found
guilty of child abuse after a trial in which the three boys described
going without food and water and being choked and kicked during the
long treks.

Investigators said Christopher Alan Carlson of Indianapolis
told them the boys were overweight and that he thought hiking the
Grand Canyon would help get them into shape. But a criminal complaint
said Carlson put his grandsons in circumstances "likely to cause death
or serious bodily injuries," and investigators said the boys — 8, 9 and
12 at the time — were covered in cuts, bruises and scars at the end of
a 19-mile hike on Aug. 28.

An Arizona jury on Wednesday found Carlson guilty of three of six
charges of child abuse stemming from that hike and another one on Aug.
15. He's scheduled to be sentenced June 1, but because the jury
convicted him on the three lesser offenses, it was unclear if he could
face up to life in prison.

All three of the boys testified during the trial, which began Feb.
15. The oldest boy told jurors that he secretly asked a hiker to call
911 toward the end of the Aug. 28 hike after he began throwing up and
after he fell down because of cramping and experienced changes to his
vision.

"I needed medical attention and I was hurting and he was hitting and
pushing me and calling me fat," said the boy. "I was scared and it was
hard and I was all weak and tired and kind of hurt."

He said Carlson became angry whenever he started walking too slow,
and at one point, hit him in the face with a rock, causing his lips to
bleed.

"I started crying and walking faster and he kicked me in the butt and said, 'Run,'" the boy said.

The boy said Carlson was in a hurry to get to the top of the Grand Canyon so he could see the sunset.

A ranger with binoculars spotted the group during their Aug. 28
hike, the same day a man died on another trail from heat exposure. The
ranger reported seeing Carlson shoving the oldest boy and whipping him
with a rolled-up T-shirt.

Rangers fed the boys and gave them water after one showed symptoms
of heat stroke and the other two had signs of heat exhaustion and
dehydration.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Williams portrayed the 45-year-old Carlson
as an active health nut who had a firm hand and wanted to show the boys
the world. Like anyone after a long hike, the boys were tired, hungry
and thirsty, but Carlson only allowed the boys to eat healthy food like
tofu, hummus and veggie burgers, Williams said in his opening
statement.

"I suppose to an 8, 9 or 10-year-old that might seem like child
abuse if you like cheeseburgers, French fries and pizza," he said. "He
wanted to get them from behind the TV, the games and fast food."

Prosecutors told jurors that Carlson deprived the boys of food and
water during the hikes. The boys reported that they did get some water,
but not always enough, and ate celery and other snacks during the
hike.

Prosecutor Camille Bibles told jurors that the middle child got
severe blisters on the first hike and that they hadn't fully healed by
the second hike. She showed jurors photos of the blisters, which turned
into bleeding ulcers. The wounds forced the boy to undergo treatment
usually reserved for burn patients and he couldn't wear shoes for
weeks, Bibles said.

A nurse also testified and said that all the boys had severely
chafed thighs because Carlson didn't let them wear underwear, and that
the boys were dehydrated and had signs of heat stroke and heat
exhaustion.

The middle grandson, who is now 10 years old, said that Carlson
discovered that the kids had hidden unwanted cauliflower, asparagus and
fish in their van. Carlson made them eat it even though the food had
hair and other debris on it. Another time, the boy said Carlson made
him eat broccoli that he had tried to flush down the toilet.

Carlson is such a young grandfather because he had his first child —
Tara Danaher, the mother of the boys — when he was 15. Danaher was 17
when her oldest was born.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/Man-found-guilty-in-Grand-Canyon-child-abuse-case.html