Watertown Man Sentenced to Jail, Probation in Codington County Child Abuse Case

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - A Watertown man has been sentenced to 10 years of a suspended prison sentence, probation, and 40 days of jail time after admitting to abusing his 7‑year‑old child in a January incident that left the boy with significant bruising across his back and shoulder, according to court records and police reports.

Love Yang, 33, pleaded guilty on June 10 to one count of Child Abuse — Victim Over Seven Years Old, a Class 4 felony under SDCL 26‑10‑1. The charge stemmed from a January 10 investigation in which Watertown Police documented extensive bruising on the child’s back, including a diagonal patterned mark and a crescent‑shaped bruise near the shoulder blade.

According to the probable cause statement filed by Officer Tayler Maertens, the child’s mother brought the boy and two siblings to the police department on January 10. The officer documented bruising “in a diagonal straight line” approximately one inch wide with a “woven pattern,” consistent with a belt. A second bruise, crescent‑shaped and 2 to 2.5 inches wide, showed dark purple coloration along the edges.

The mother told police the child said Yang hit him with a belt. She also showed officers a text message from Yang’s phone number stating: “Yeah I did smack him plenty times in the face too, but I won’t do it again… neither yell or get mad at them anymore.”

Yang later admitted to officers that he struck the child with a belt because the child had defecated in his pants. He voluntarily provided police with the belt, described as a black woven cloth belt between 1.25 and 1.5 inches wide.

Prior Domestic‑Related History Noted

Court services documented Yang’s prior history involving domestic‑related offenses, including:

·         A 2018 domestic assault guilty plea

·         A 2018 no‑contact order violation

·         A 2019 no‑contact order violation within 10 years of a previous conviction

·         A 2021 protection order violation (no disposition listed)

Indictment and Court Proceedings

Yang was initially cited on January 10 and formally charged through a criminal complaint on January 22. A Codington County grand jury later issued an indictment on February 12, reaffirming the child abuse charge.

He entered a guilty plea on June 10. Sentencing took place July 29.

Sentence: Jail Time, Suspended Penitentiary Term, and Two Years Probation

Judge‑ordered sentencing records show Yang received:

·         10 years in the state penitentiary, fully suspended

·         40 days in the Codington County Jail, with 1 day credit for time served

·         Eligibility for work release

·         Two years of supervised probation, running through July 29, 2028

·         $616.50 in court costs and fines

Yang must comply with multiple court‑ordered requirements, including:

·         Complete an alcohol/chemical dependency evaluation and follow all treatment recommendations

·         Maintain full sobriety and avoid establishments where alcohol is the primary item sold

·         Submit to searches of person and property without probable cause

·         Provide bodily substance samples for testing

·         Maintain full‑time employment

·         Complete a court‑approved anger management/domestic violence/batterers program within six months

·         Complete a court‑approved parenting program and provide proof within 90 days

·         Comply with all conditions from an associated Abuse & Neglect (A&N) case

·         Commit no violations of federal, state, or municipal laws

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