Saline County man charged with child molestation after two children contract STD

A Saline County man has been charged with child molestation and endangering the welfare of a child after Marshall police were notified of a child abuse case.

According to the probable cause statement, Mark Hughes took two three-year-old children to the hospital on Jan. 8 for genital discharge.

The hospital reported to police the children had been diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases and officials had not been able to contact Hughes to get the children antibiotics.

Hughes could not provide an explanation to police as to why the children had contracted the diseases and claimed it was because all three of them shared towels.

Police made contact with medical professionals who told officers that the sexually transmitted diseases the children were diagnosed with could only be transmitted through sexual contact.

According to the probable cause statement, the children have the sexually transmitted diseases from sexual abuse and have been left untreated with the painful side effects.

Hughes is currently in the Saline County Jail.