A South Sioux City man is accused of whipping two children with a power cord.

44-year-old Maximino Rivera-Nieto faces two felony counts of child abuse.

A court affidavit says a 13-year-old girl told a teacher last Friday that she couldn't go to soccer practice because she was too sore from being whipped by her stepfather. The affidavit says an officer sent to the girl's home found that her 12-year-old brother had been beaten, too.

Rivera-Nieto was arrested that evening. The Dakota County sheriff's office says he remains in custody on $25,000 bond on Thursday. Online court records don't list his attorney.