A Woods County man has been charged with three counts of child abuse after a county employee stopped to check on a young teen in a rural area.

According to court records, on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at approximately 1:28 p.m. Woods County Undersheriff Keith Dale received a telephone call from Richard Damien Starks, an employee of Woods County District 1. Starks stated while traveling on County Road 440 near Latimer Road, he found a 13-year-old male who reported he was being abused by his father.

When Dale arrived, he saw a juvenile male sitting in Starks’ front passenger seat. Dale briefly spoke with...