VALENCIA — A borough man is accused of child abuse after law enforcement officials discovered he was allegedly using a wooden paddle to discipline his two stepchildren. Ryan Shank, 39, was arrested Friday and arraigned on charges of two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and two counts of simple assault.

The investigation into Shank began Nov. 7 when the father of the two boys, whose ages were withheld, picked them up for weekend visitation and discovered they had bruises, according to court documents.

The father took them to the Beaver Medical Center, and he also contacted the Adams Township police and the Butler County Children and Youth Services.

On Nov. 5, Shank allegedly spanked the boys multiple times on their rear ends with a wooden paddle as punishment for not doing their school work.

The Butler County Child Advocacy Center interviewed the boys Nov. 20 and discovered that numerous alleged incidents had occurred between them and Shank over six years. The boys said that Shank had allegedly beaten them with spatulas, plastic spoons and the wooden paddle. He allegedly took other abusive actions against the boys.

One of the boys stated that some of the alleged abuse occurred when their mother was not at home, though he had told her about it after. The other boy said he told his father about the beatings from his stepfather because he was afraid of getting “hurt hurt.”

Shank is free on bail. He is to appear in district court Feb. 23.