The husband of TikToker Emilie Kiser could face child abuse charges relating to the death of the couple’s three-year-old son, Trigg Kiser, in May.
Police officers rushed to the Kiser’s home just outside of Phoenix on May 12 after receiving reports of a possible drowning involving a child.
Trigg was given CPR at the scene before paramedics arrived. He was then rushed to a local hospital in critical condition before being flown to Phoenix Children’s Hospital due to the extent of his injuries.
The child succumbed to his injuries six days later, the fire department in the city of Chandler said.
Emilie Kiser is a well-known influencer with 4.1 million followers on the platform.
On Wednesday, local police announced that they had completed the investigation into the tragedy and submitted a file to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office that recommends Brady Kiser, 28, Triggs’ father, face a Class 4 felony child abuse charge.
“Following a thorough review of the evidence, investigators have recommended a Class 4 felony charge of child abuse against Brady Kiser,” Chandler police said Tuesday night.
A class 4 child abuse felony is an offence committed with criminal negligence and can be committed intentionally or knowingly, as defined by Arizona law.
Brady Kiser could face up to three years in prison if convicted on the charges.
Many of Emilie Kiser’s posts document her life as a parent and feature videos of her children and husband.
Since the incident, she has filed a lawsuit demanding that records on her son be kept private, insisting that she “is going through a parent’s worst nightmare right now,” according to the suit.
“Emilie is trying her best to be there for her surviving son…but every day is a battle,” the lawsuit said.
Kiser and Brady welcomed their second son, Theodore, in March.
Following Trigg’s death, over 100 public records requests were filed with the city of Chandler and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Emilie and her family desperately want to grieve in private, but sadly, the public will not let them. Trigg’s death has become a media frenzy,” the suit continued.
Kiser has not posted on TikTok since May 12, and as of Tuesday, comments on her posts remained disabled.
While the suit does acknowledge Arizona’s Public Records Law, which gives the public the right to view records maintained by government offices, “this right of access is not absolute.”
Kiser’s lawyers argue Arizona law also “recognizes that family members have a compelling privacy interest in preventing the disclosure of graphic materials related to a loved one’s injuries or death.”
