Jan. 3—RED LAKE COUNTY, Minn. — A Brooks, Minnesota, man was expected to stand trial this week for felony child torture and related violent crimes, but instead pleaded guilty Tuesday, Dec. 31, to a lesser offense.
Joseph Cole Wulfson, 34, faces up to five years for the amended felony charge of malicious punishment of a child causing substantial bodily harm. However, plea negotiations outlined in court documents say Wulfson could be granted an aggravated durational departure sentence of 30 months, which would be stayed during a five-year period of supervised probation.
If that sentence is granted during his 1 p.m. hearing Feb. 2, Wulfson will be released from custody and only serve additional time if he violates any conditions of probation.
Wulfson’s probation conditions have not yet been made public; they could be determined based on the outcome of chemical dependency and domestic abuse evaluations he must complete prior to sentencing.
In July, law enforcement learned of an attack on a 12-year-old child
that had been captured on video. Court documents allege the footage showed Wulfson headbutting the child, then hitting and shoving the child approximately 25 times in two-and-a-half minutes.
A sibling of the child told police Wulfson got upset because the 12-year-old left knives too close to the edge of the sink, and then lied about it.
Wulfson later told police he was disciplining the child for lying, and admitted it was excessive, documents said.