Utah mother, boyfriend accused of abusing, choking kids and forcing them to do pushups

MANGA, Utah (TCN) -- A mother and her boyfriend are each facing 29 charges for the alleged prolonged abuse of the woman's children, including choking, physically assaulting, and pulling out one of the kids' hair.

According to the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office, on Aug. 21, police responded to a home after Sarah Sorensen reported that her boyfriend, Kristopher North, had hit her 6-year-old son and attempted to strangle him. Officers observed red marks on the child's neck, as well as scratches on his body, bruising, and numerous open wounds on his buttocks. Three children, ages 6, 8, and 9, were found in the residence and transported to a hospital.

Prosecutors allege that North had been abusing the children since 2020, "forcing them to do pushups, slapping them when they failed, kicking them on multiple occasions, and choking them." The district attorney's office said North also allegedly pulled out the 8-year-old child's hair, causing bald spots, and aimed a firearm toward his head.

According to KSTU-TV, in one instance, one of the children was allegedly punched to the point of losing consciousness. Sorenson reportedly told officials she believed her son suffered a concussion because "he was not speaking clearly, could not stand up on his own, and his pupils were dilated differently."

KSTU reports that Sorenson told a detective in an interview that North became upset with her son for using a door handle to get out of their vehicle. North allegedly ordered the 6-year-old to "get in a pushup position," and when the child didn't do the pushups correctly, North kicked the boy.

When the boy failed to answer North's questions as "sir" or "yes, sir," or didn't provide acceptable answers, the suspect allegedly slapped the child.

Although the alleged abuse continued, prosecutors say Sorenson failed to report it for several years.

In an interview with North, the suspect reportedly admitted he grabs the victims by the back of their necks to "show them where they're supposed to be and what they're supposed to do." North allegedly told authorities that "if they just breathe through their nose, they would be fine."

The district attorney's office announced Aug. 29 that Sorensen and North each face 21 counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse and eight counts of misdemeanor child abuse.

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