Air Force officer arrested on child abuse charges
Air Force officer arrested on child abuse charges
Tiffany J. Jack, wife of USAF officer Dennis Jack, was arrested on Nov. 17 on two counts of child abuse and one count of aggravated child abuse
Jack affidavit released from police
By Steven Matthews
Staff Writer
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Authorities arrested an Air Force lieutenant colonel based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and charged him Sunday in Niceville, Fla., with several counts of child abuse.
Dennis Jack, 42, is accused of spanking his children with a metal spatula and forcing them to do “calisthenics punishment” where they had to place their toes on the kitchen counter, holding their own weight while their hands were on a toy pink car, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported.
During the punishment, the girls had to wear soiled diapers on their head for 15 minutes, according to the newspaper.
Jack was booked into Okaloosa County Jail Sunday and charged with four counts of child abuse and three counts of obstructing justice. He was released after posting $4,000 bond.
Jack’s wife, Tiffany J. Jack, 41, was arrested on Nov. 17 on two counts of child abuse and one count of aggravated child abuse. She was released Nov. 17 on $5,000 bond.
She was accused of forcing her children to sit on a toilet for several days and made them run until they vomited, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported.
Physical examinations of the children found evidence of both bruises and scars to support the accusations, according to the newspaper.
WPAFB spokesman Daryl Mayer said Dennis Jack is the commander of the 88th Comptroller Squadron, and his family resides in west Florida near Elgin Air Force Base.
Jack is currently on leave, pending the results of the judicial proceedings and in order to allow him to tend to these matters, Mayer said.
“While the Air Force takes seriously all pending civilian investigations and charges against our members, we recognize that all members have the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” Mayer said in a prepared statement. “Air Force investigators are actively working with civilian authorities in this matter.”
Niceville has a population of 12,000 and is located about 15 miles from Fort Walton Beach. Niceville was rated the “Best Place to Raise Your Kids in Florida” this year by Bloomberg Businessweek.