Mormon TikTok influencer charged with domestic violence, child abuse

Taylor Frankie Paul, a Mormon influencer known for her viral content on the social media platform TikTok, has been charged with domestic violence and child abuse, court records show.

Paul was charged Tuesday with two felony counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and one felony count of aggravated assault, according to Salt Lake County court records. Paul was also charged with one misdemeanor count each of child abuse and criminal mischief.

The charges come after police in Herriman, Utah, arrested Paul on Feb. 17 after responding to a domestic violence call, the Herriman City Police Department said last week in a statement.

According to a probable cause statement, Paul and her boyfriend, identified as Dakota Mortensen, were having an argument and, when Mortensen tried to leave, she started hitting him. Paul is also accused of throwing several "heavy, metal chairs" at Mortensen and hitting her 5-year-old daughter in the head with one of them, the statement said.

Police reviewed video of the incident, the probable cause statement said, which allegedly showed Paul throwing what were described as barstools. The statement alleged that Paul hit Mortensen with one of the stools, which then also hit her daughter, who was lying on a couch in the room where Paul and Mortensen were arguing. The child later developed a painful bump on her head, according to court documents.

Another 2-year-old child was in the home at the time, the probable cause statement said.

The video also allegedly showed Paul kicking Mortensen, putting him in a chokehold and hitting him multiple times, the document states. Mortensen also alleged that Paul threw her phone and a wooden playset at him, and that the playset hit his car and damaged the door.

The responding officer alleged in the probable cause statement that he saw Paul hit Mortensen when he arrived and that Paul admitted to throwing the chairs and playset.

"Ms. Paul's status as a social media influencer has no bearing or impact on the investigation or outcome of this case," the Herriman Police Department said last week. "All allegations of domestic violence are investigated thoroughly and in accordance with state law and established criminal justice best practices to protect victims and ensure accountability."

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