Father punished children, 11 and 13, with pushups for a half-hour straight, police say

MOUNT VERNON, Ky. — A Kentucky father was arrested after police say he made his young children finish brutal workouts as punishment for breaking house rules, WKYT reports.

James Pal Kidwell, 40, of Mount Vernon, is charged with first-degree child abuse.

Kidwell is accused of forcing his children, 11 and 13, to do pushups for half an hour straight.

Kidwell is also accused of making the two kids eat soap. One of the kids had a sore in his mouth from the soap.

According to police, one of the children had a bruise on his chest from a punch.

Police said Kidwell would also make the kids lean forward, with their foreheads against a wall, for up to 30 minutes.

Kidwell was arrested Monday and is being held under a $10,000 bond. He was still in jail as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Rockcastle County Detention Center website.