Ex-Jag, Wife In Court For Child Abuse Case

Ex-Jag, Wife In Court For Child Abuse Case

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the first time in nearly two years an ex-Jaguar and his wife, both charged with aggravated child abuse, appeared in a Duval County courtroom on Monday.

Rich and Janie Tylski were arrested in 2006 after their foster-care daughter told police she was the victim of repeated abuse.

They were accused of hitting the girl with a belt, slamming her head on a table and other abuse that left the girl with broken bones in her hands and legs. 

In court on Monday, the Tylskis listened as attorneys argued over the admissibility of evidence, including testimony from several people with whom the alleged victim talked.

Guardian ad litem Bob Anderson told the court the Tylski's then-foster child told him her leg was broken by Janie Tylski.

"She put her hand on the table and said, 'My mother took my leg and made me do the splits.' She said, 'She did that a couple times and I heard a crack,'" Anderson said.

During cross examination, Anderson told defense attorney Bob Willis that the then-6-year-old girl had first told everyone that she broke her leg by falling down the stairs at their Mandarin home.

The girl is now 8 years old and lives with Karla Utley. Utley and her husband adopted the child after she was taken from the Tylskis.

Utley told the court the girl told her she had been abused in the Tylski home for years.

"She had mentioned that her mom had knocked her head into the kitchen table. She showed me the scar on her forehead. She had said her dad had hit her with a belt. She mentioned that the mom had bent her finger back on numerous occasions," Utley said.

Other allegations brought up in court included claims that Janie Tylski stuck a fork in the girl's mouth to hurt her and that she allegedly poured hot sauce in the girl's mouth and ears.

Whether Utley's and Anderson's statements or the statements of others will be allowed is in the hands of a judge.

After Monday's hearing, Rich Tylski told Channel 4 the allegations against him and his wife are false.

"I've never abused any of my kids, including my daughter," he said.

The judge is expected to have a hearing next week to decide when he will decide if the evidence should be admitted at trial.