Bemidji Man Charged With Child Torture

BEMIDJI, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bemidji man faces five felony charges tied to alleged abuse of his children.

Thomas Jay Drift Sr., 56, was charged on June 22 in Beltrami County District Court. He received a summons to appear in court.

Court records listed his first appearance for Monday, July 6.

The charges include child torture and two third-degree assault counts involving a past pattern of child abuse. He also faces domestic assault by strangulation charge and a child methamphetamine exposure charge.

Minnesota law allows up to 25 years in prison for a child torture conviction. The maximum fine is $35,000.

Years of Abuse Alleged

The criminal complaint says the investigation began on April 30. A county investigator joined a child protection investigation.

During forensic interviews, Drift’s children described years of physical abuse in Beltrami County.

They said Drift often struck them with common household objects. Those objects included a frying pan, wooden board, broom, belts, and phone charging cords.

The children described violence over small household problems. Those issues included a clogged toilet, a missing charger, and a fallen drying rack.

Strangulation Claims Described

One child reported being strangled twice, according to the complaint.

During one incident, she said she could not breathe. She also reported blurred vision and ringing in her ears.

The child said she believed she was going to die. The complaint says a second strangulation happened in January 2026.

Drug Exposure Allegations

The children also accused Drift of using and selling drugs.

One child said Drift offered her methamphetamine while he was high. Another statement described greater violence when he was withdrawing from drugs.

The child said she feared returning home from school. She did not know what condition Drift would be in.

Message Allegedly Told Children to Stay Quiet

Investigators obtained a message that allegedly told the children to stay quiet during therapy.

The message used the Ojibwe word “biiZaan.” An Ojibwe speaker told investigators the word means “be quiet.”

The complaint says Drift later deleted the Facebook Messenger message. The platform still recorded that the message had been removed.

The complaint also lists prior domestic assault convictions from 2010 and 2014 in St. Louis County.

The charges remain allegations. Drift is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Public case information is available through Minnesota Court Records Online. Beltrami County District Court also provides court and calendar information.

I’m Adrian Cole, reporting for TRF News.