Police: Tarentum Man Forced Boys Into 'Training' Fights

Children Allegedly Threatened With '10,000 Smacks'

POSTED: 12:14 am EDT August 14, 2009
UPDATED: 6:57 pm EDT August 14, 2009

LINK TO VIDEO AND PHOTO

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/20393216/detail.html

TARENTUM, Pa. -- Police have charged a Tarentum man and his girlfriend after he allegedly forced the woman's two sons to fight.

Steven Meyer is also accused of paddling the boys and faces charges of simple assault and endangering the welfare of children.

Police said the boys -- ages 6 and 9 -- were forced to fight on numerous occasions at their mother's home while she and Meyer watched.

The boys' father contacted police when he discovered bruises on his 9-year-old son after picking him up from his mother's house, police said.

The oldest boy told a child advocacy specialist that Meyer forced he and his brother to fight about 20 times and referred to it as "training," according to police.

The 9-year-old also said his younger brother was threatened with "10,000 smacks" by Meyer if he didn't beat his brother up, adding that Meyer paddled him several times after he accidentally ripped a tarp with a toy truck, police said.

Both boys said their mother -- Joyce Sabotka -- was present when they would fight in Meyer's bedroom, according to police. Sabotka was charged with child endangerment.

Sabotka told Channel 4 Action News reporter Tara Edwards that Meyer is good with her children and that her ex-boyfriend is using these allegations to get custody of the boys.