I'm Not Trying to Depress You, But Please Pray for My Students...

SALISBURY -- A Salisbury man is facing child abuse charges after allegedly beating two children with a rod, according to court documents.
One victim alleged Sun J. Kim beat him with a 2-foot wooden rod after he lied about his grades, according to charging documents. Kim is accused of beating the child before and after school Nov. 4.

A second boy, the victim's brother, also alleged Kim beat him Nov. 2.

In addition to child abuse, Kim has been charged with reckless endangerment and assault.

First-degree child abuse, a felony in Maryland, carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison under state law if convicted.

City police were dispatched to Pemberton Elementary on Tuesday after a school nurse reported the abuse to police.

The child was sent to the nurse after a teacher noticed he was limping. The nurse located a 4-by-4-inch bruise on the child's left thigh and bruises on his back, according to police.

Police transported the victim and his brother, who is also a student at the school, to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for a medical exam. Hospital personnel observed multiple bruises on the victim's thighs, lower back, buttocks and lower abdomen. The victim's brother also had similar bruises to his buttocks, according to police.

"The main bruise (on) top (of) the thigh was described as a deep injury to the muscle which can potentially cause kidney damage and severe health problems or death," wrote Officer M. Merritt in charging documents.

Kim was released from the Wicomico County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond on Wednesday, according to court records.

A District Court hearing has been scheduled for early December.




Everyone at my school is pretty upset that they published the exact person who reported the abuse (the nurse).  Apparently the media is not supposed to get that information,  but somewhere along the line, it got out there.  The dad was released and is back at home with my students.  I know that this is not the only case of child abuse in my school, but when I see these boys in my classroom I just want to bring them home with me because I know where they are really going after school.  And now there is nothing we can do about it... Scary.