Man given 27 month jail sentence for forcing grandsons on gruelling hike

Shortly after his arrest in August, Carlson told investigators that his
grandsons were overweight and that he thought hiking the Grand Canyon would
get them into shape. They were 8, 9 and 12 at the time.

The boys are now living with their grandmother in Indiana.

The boys have said that they love their grandfather and loved spending last
summer travelling to various countries with him. But the boys also testified
that Carlson kicked or hit them if they were too slow on a 15-mile hike on
Aug. 15 and a 19-mile hike on Aug. 28.

The oldest boy told jurors that he secretly asked a hiker to call emergency
medical services toward the end of the Aug 28 hike after he began throwing
up, 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.”

A ranger with binoculars spotted the group during the 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.

During trial, defence attorney Jeffrey Williams portrayed 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.

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.

A jury found Carlson guilty of three counts of child abuse stemming from the
Aug 28 hike, but not guilty of any abuse on the Aug 15 hike.

Source: agencies

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