Smithfield couple arrested for allegedly abusing and neglecting three children

LOGAN — A Smithfield couple has been arrested for allegedly abusing and not properly nourishing three children, according to law enforcement. Kyle Johnston, 46, and Danielle Fenton, 31, were booked Thursday into the Cache County Jail.

Both were arraigned Friday morning during a virtual hearing in 1st District Court, appearing by web conference from jail. They were each charged with 10 counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony; and four counts of abuse or neglect of a child with a disability, a third-degree felony.

According to a probable cause statement, Smithfield City Police officers received an abuse report from the Division of Child and Family Services in August 2022. The alleged victims were 2, 4 and 5-years-old.

During their lengthy investigation, officers uncovered medical records that allegedly showed how Johnston and Fenton fabricated illnesses for the children, resulting in repeated and invasive testing. At the same time, they would neglect other healthcare recommendations such as physical, occupational and speech therapies that would optimize the children’s functioning, the arrest affidavit described.

The fabrications reportedly led to the children being placed on feeding tubes, catheterized, diapered and forced to use wheel chairs. Two doctors who later evaluated the alleged victims told police they had never seen a case like this in their careers of practicing medicine.

During Friday’s arraignment, Cache County Deputy Attorney Ronnie Keller asked the court to hold Johnston and Fenton in jail without bail, noting the lengthy allegations.

Defense attorney Joseph Saxton, who represented Johnston and Fenton in a child custody case, called the allegations false. He argued that they should be entitled to bail.

Judge Spencer Walsh agreed and set bail at $10,000 each but prohibited the couple from having any contact with the alleged victims. He also assigned public defenders to represent them and ordered them to appear next week in court.

Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.


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11 Comments

  • KA February 5, 2023 at 4:54 pm Reply

    Those poor children. I hope they end up OK and thriving.

  • Anthony Fenton February 6, 2023 at 11:50 am Reply

    As the grand father of the kids, I refute all the allegations made against my daughter and her common-law husband. Nothing that the state alleges is true. The state acted upon incomplet information (none at all from Arizona, where they have lived the last 8 years). The entire state case is a lie and a witch-hunt, and the state of Utah is guily of medical kidnapping of three little children. It is an abuse of power that the Constitution does NOT allow! Especially because Family Courts are run like Civl Courts (no rights for the defendants, even forced to testify in violation of the 5th amendment).

    • Blayne February 6, 2023 at 2:46 pm Reply

      Sounds like the psycho gene runs in the family. Good luck, buddy!

    • Lindsay February 6, 2023 at 7:05 pm Reply

      Okay dad. Then what happened to those kids? If it’s not their faults, then who’s?

    • Genevieve Boudrero May 10, 2023 at 7:59 am Reply

      I agree! This has been happened all over Cache Valley at the hands of DCFS Diane Balmain. She needs to be stopped. The families, especially the children of this great valley deserve to be protected!!!

  • Enough February 7, 2023 at 6:54 am Reply

    Doctors would not put catheters in children if it wasn’t needed…. and granted we are only hearing 1 side of this so. How did the kids end up in the hospital if it wasn’t true? We need more deets.

    • Genevieve Boudrero May 10, 2023 at 8:01 am Reply

      Yes! This is truth!!! Where is the parents side of the story??
      *Media people, let’s do better about getting an unbiased report to the public in the future rather than allowing the lies of the perverse authorities in cache valley to be spread like a germ.

      • D October 7, 2023 at 3:40 pm Reply

        unfortunately this is still a ongoing case of medical kidnapping

  • Genevieve Boudrero May 10, 2023 at 7:56 am Reply

    The Assistant Attorney General for Cache Valley DCFS, Diane Balmain, is notorious for bulldozing parents who have genuine concern for their little ones and repeatedly seek help for them when nothing is done to help them. Diane Balmain handles all DCFS cases for cache valley and has repeatedly taken away parents rights who have legitimate concerns and have every legal right to seek help once the state has paid a certain amount of money over the limit that she deems unacceptable. She doesn’t care about the children m, it’s all about the money to her. She is known for allowing convicted child sex offenders to maintain their parental rights while in amen away the rights of those parents trying to do right by their children that she deems as a pebble in her shoe. She is destroying families rights that are granted by the US constitution and ripping families and their hearts apart all over cache valley. She needs to be stopped.

    • D October 7, 2023 at 3:39 pm Reply

      this is a medical kidnapping case and is still ongoing

  • D October 7, 2023 at 3:38 pm Reply

    update there are now 4 kids involved
    A baby born several months ago the parents didn’t even get to bring the child home.
    i would love to inform you this is a medical kidnapping case and this case is still ongoing

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