An Aurora father on Wednesday denied charges of striking his two sons with a pipe last year.
Ivan Grant Sr., 35, pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated battery of a child and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor during a hearing before Kane County Judge Clint Hull.
A grand jury indicted Grant on the charges last week. He is free on bond with a March 19 court appearance scheduled.
According to the indictments, Grant used a pipe to hit his sons during a time frame listed as October to November of 2014. He is also accused of exposing himself to a minor under the age of 17 in 2013.
Court documents show Grant and his ex-wife were involved in a lengthy custody dispute over the couple’s three children since Grant filed for divorce in 2009. A judge gave Grant full custody of the children – all still under the age of 13 – on at least two occasions, most recently in August 2014.
That decision was vacated, with custody reverting to his ex-wife, after Grant’s arrest in December, court records show.
Dan Campana is a freelance reporter