A local man and woman face felony charges after a Grand Jury indicted them in connection with a child abuse investigation.

Deputies of the Carter County Sheriff’s Department arrested Alexandria Ufalla Nelson, 18, of Bristol, and Cory Brett Scalf, 20, of Elizabethton, on indictments charging each of them with one count of aggravated child abuse and one count of aggravated child neglect.

The charges against Nelson and Scalf stem from an investigation by the Elizabethton Police Department into allegations the two abused and neglected a young child between July 2017 and December 2017. During the time the alleged actions occurred the child was 14 months to 19 months old.

According to the indictment, Nelson and Scalf committed the offense of aggravated child abuse “by knowingly abusing (the child), a child being eight years of age or less, in such a manner as to adversely affect the child’s health and welfare and said course of conduct resulted in serious bodily injury to the child.”

The indictment states Nelson and Scalf committed the offense of aggravated child neglect “by knowingly neglecting (the child), a child being eight years of age or less, in such a manner as to adversely affect the child’s health and welfare and said course of conduct resulted in serious bodily injury to the child.”

Both charges against Nelson and Scalf are considered “Class A” felonies under state law.