Cd’A man charged with child abuse, animal cruelty

COEUR d’ALENE — A man accused of choking and tying up a child is in jail on $100,000 bail. 

Michael J. Stern, 63, of Coeur d’Alene, is charged with three counts of injury to a child, one a felony and two misdemeanors. He’s also charged with cruelty to animals and resisting or obstructing officers, both misdemeanors. Because he has multiple previous felony convictions, he also faces a habitual offender enhancement.

First District Judge James Combo ordered Wednesday that Stern be held on $100,000 bail, citing concerns about Stern’s willingness to appear in court for future hearings and noting Stern’s previous felony convictions. 

Stern pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor offenses and is expected to enter a plea on the felony matter on a later date. 

In court Wednesday, county prosecutors called the allegations “significant and concerning.” 

Police launched an investigation last week after the mother of a 10-year-old child reported that Stern had physically abused the child. 

The child told police that Stern had once choked him hard enough that he could not breathe. The child also described Stern hog-tying him several times, according to court records, as well as instances when Stern allegedly threw things at him and swung a knife at him while he was tied up on the ground.

When interviewed by police, Stern allegedly admitted to tying up the child by the wrists and ankles on multiple occasions, grabbing the child by the neck and dragging him by the hair. He also admitted to throwing animal feces and a rake at the child, according to court records.

“He attempted to nonsensically justify his actions as ‘self-defense’ against a 10-year-old,” a Coeur d’Alene police officer wrote in a report. “(Stern) even attempted to justify his cruelty toward animals by comparing himself to an animal catcher.”

Stern also admitted to “hobbling” a dog’s legs by tying them together, hitting the animal with a stick and stomping on its paws, according to court records. 

Prosecutors said Stern “struggled” with the police who detained him, resulting in a charge of resisting or obstructing. 

In Idaho, felony injury to a child is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.