Cloquet man sentenced for felony child abuse

A Cloquet man was sentenced April 12 for physically abusing a 2-year-old child in his care, pleading guilty to felony third-degree assault.

In a plea deal with the Carlton County Attorney’s Office, Travis Dean Thrun, 22, was sentenced to four years, with a stay of adjudication, resulting in supervised probation.

Thrun was arrested in November by Cloquet police. According to the criminal complaint, witnesses, including other caregivers, reported the child suffered through a series of three strangulation events, as well as a weeks-old anal cut that Thrun had superglued and alleged was the result of “rough wiping.”

Thrun denied to authorities that he sexually assaulted the child, but a medical exam performed Nov. 10 found concern “for both physical and sexual abuse.”

According to the criminal complaint, Thrun repeatedly dissuaded his spouse from seeking medical care for the 2-year-old, while often reporting to his spouse that an older child was responsible for the incidents. Thrun once told the mother that the older, 5-year-old child had choked the 2-year-old by “putting [their] foot into [the child’s] mouth.”

Thrun admitted to police that he “dropped [the child] on purpose out of anger” on Oct. 31, after he’d been carrying the 2-year-old at shoulder level. The child hit their head and back on the floor and quit breathing for multiple seconds. Thrun said he performed CPR on the child and attempted to call 911 prior to the child’s resuscitation.

The older child witnessed it happen, and Thrun sent them to their room and closed the door. After the child regained consciousness, Thrun cuddled with the child on the bed, later telling his spouse the older child had choked the 2-year-old, while dissuading the mother from taking the child to the hospital.

The mother of the child addressed the court in the online hearing, stating that four years probation is not enough.

“I’m here speaking as my child cannot,” she said. “My child was hurt by an adult who he trusted and an adult he would seek comfort, clarity and love from.”

The mother said Thrun has made threats to see her child at any cost, “which has put fear in my heart,” she said, noting that the children are in a foster home because of the crime. She and the foster mom have made contingency plans in case Thrun shows up.

“Leaving my children at school is hard because I am afraid Mr. Thrun will come to the school and take them,” she said. “I live in fear for my child.”

She noted that Thrun violated a no contact order already, adding that she felt he has used their pending divorce as an excuse to try to see her.

“I believe four years probation is not justice enough for the physical and mental hurt that Mr. Thrun has caused my son,” she said.

Thrun declined to say anything at the sentencing.

Sixth District Carlton County Judge Amy Lukasavitz followed the plea deal with four years supervised probation, but warned Thrun that he would be looking at jail if he violates the terms of the agreement.

The terms included Thrun getting a mental health evaluation and any recommended treatment, abstaining from alcohol and drugs, submitting to random testing, not possessing any firearms or explosives, providing a DNA sample, along with many other conditions. She issued a probationary no contact order to last four years for all the minor children and his soon-to-be ex-wife.

“That means no contact. No social media, no third-party contact, nothing like that,” Lukasavitz said.