Additional charges filed against Jackson man accused of child abuse; woman also charged

Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested a Jackson man on suspicion of statutory sodomy and child-molestation and a Jackson woman on suspicion of child abuse or neglect, according to a news release.

Devin M. Biri, 28, originally was charged with abuse or neglect of a child in December. Biri was supposed to be watching a 1-year-old child when the child suffered a skull fracture and other injuries, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by deputy Aaron Harris. The injuries were consistent with an abused child, according to hospital staff at the time.

Biri posted bond on that charge Jan. 11.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Thursday charged Biri with first-degree statutory sodomy and first-degree child molestation.

A 7-year-old victim said in a forensic interview at Beacon Health Center on Jan. 19 her relative, Biri, touched her inappropriately in November, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case by sheriff’s detective Jaime Holloway.

During a forensic interview at Beacon Health Center on Jan. 6, a 9-year-old victim said Biri made her perform oral sex on him and he touched her inappropriately according to a separate probable-cause statement filed by Holloway.

The victim said Biri abused her multiple times between the ages of 7 and 9 years old, but the statement does not specify the most recent instance of abuse, Holloway wrote.

The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Ashley Ann Hudson, 28, with child neglect because she left a 19-month-old child in the care of a dangerous person, according to the warrant.

Detective Cpl. Jamie Malugen interviewed Hudson in December at Saint Francis Medical Center, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case.

Hudson said when she saw an injury, she would ask Biri and he would respond he did not know how the child was injured, Malugen wrote.

Hudson works as a nurse’s aide, according to the statement.

“I asked Ashley how she could accept that answer, that she should have known that something wasn’t right due to numerous old and new injuries [on the victim’s] body,” Malugen wrote. “I also went on to explain to Ashley with her being a nurse’s aide in the medical field, it should have been that much more clear to her that something wasn’t right.”

Hudson agreed she should have seen the pattern of bruising and not taken Biri’s word he did not know why the child was injured, Malugen wrote.

Hudson said she never saw Biri abuse the child in her presence, according to the statement.

Biri and Hudson’s bonds each were set at $75,000 cash or surety, according to the release.

bkleine@semissourian.com

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