McLean County man accused of burning children with hot iron

Posted on February 22, 2022
Lorel Johnson, 42, of Bloomington. (Photo courtesy: McLean County Jail/HOI-ABC)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – A McLean County man is still behind bars Tuesday after police said he tried to teach his 5 year old twins a lesson by burning them with a hot iron.

Prosecutors said the kids complained about the pain at school, and that’s how police became involved.

42-year-old Lorel Johnson was arrested by Bloomington police last Thursday and charged with four felonies.

Two of those charges are Class X felony charges for Aggravated Battery to a Child. If guilty on those charges he’s facing 6 to 30 years in prison.

The other two charges are class 2 felonies for Aggravated Domestic Battery

Court records show Johnson is accused of taking a hot iron and burning the legs of his twin boys multiple times on Wednesday, February 16.

One of the boys complained of leg pain at school the next day. A school nurse saw what looked like burn marks on both the boys legs. The school called DFCS and the police to investigate.

County prosecutors say Johnson admitted to repeatedly placing the hot iron on his children’s legs for about 4 seconds each time in order to teach them that the iron was hot.

He’s being held on $250,000 bond, and must post 10% or $25,000 to be released.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected].

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