Silver Valley pair arrested for child abuse

WALLACE – Two Silver Valley residents have been arrested and are facing numerous charges in what law enforcement is calling one of the most unsettling cases of child abuse in recent memory.  

Sage Bryant, 24, and Anthony Banker, 38, were arrested last week after law enforcement was notified by medical staff of possible child abuse inflicted by the pair on Bryant’s four-year-old child.  

Bryant has been charged with four counts of felony injury to a child, five counts of misdemeanor injury to a child, two counts of compounding crimes, and one assault charge. Banker has been charged with three counts of felony injury to a child, one charge of misdemeanor injury to a child, and two counts of compounding crimes.  

According to police records, law enforcement became aware of the situation on May 20, when Kellogg Police were notified that the child was in a medically induced coma at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center (SHMC) in Spokane, following the discovery of multiple brain bleeds in the child. KPD, believing this case to be solely in their jurisdiction, requested that Spokane Police handle the initial interviews; however, the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office became involved after learning that much of the reported abuse took place in a remote area of the county.  

Within the initial investigation reports, Bryant reportedly told hospital staff and law enforcement that the child fainted and fell to the floor following a bath at Banker’s Prichard residence on Friday, May 16. According to evidence obtained by law enforcement, the child reportedly experienced several dizzy spells over the weekend before Bryant took him to the hospital on Monday, May 19, for what she believed to be a seizure. The boy was stabilized at Shoshone Medical Center and transported to SHMC. 

The records also indicate that medical professionals grew more concerned as they discovered numerous bruises covering the child, which Bryant explained was due to a rare genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.  

During the interviews, both Banker and Bryant reportedly told law enforcement they were not romantically linked but were instead like siblings. According to records from SCSO Lt. Jared Bilaski, Bryant told him that she and Banker had bonded over similar parenting beliefs.  

Bilaski obtained a warrant for Bryant’s cellphone, where numerous text messages were discovered detailing various forms of abuse, including a reported admission by Banker of forcing the child to eat feces, as well as discussions between the pair attempting to match their stories during one of the interviews with the Department of Health and Welfare. 

Bilaksi also found several videos on the phone depicting various forms of abuse being inflicted on the child, including being forced to wear a blindfold and handcuffs. During the videos, Bryant can allegedly be heard screaming various threats at the child, including to “Stop crying or I am going to hit you again.”  

Bryant was arrested on June 2, and Banker was arrested two days later, on June 4. Both are currently being held in Shoshone County Jail with bond amounts set at $200,000.  

“The evidence in this case is unsettling,” SCSO Cap. Seth Green said. “We will continue to work with other agencies involved in this case.”  

Bryant’s next court appearance is set for June 17, while Banker’s is June 18.  

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, the child has been placed in the care of the state.

    Banker