An Oak Point man accused of shooting to death his young daughter on Christmas Eve is free on bail, but a court order issued Thursday continues to forbid him access to the two of his other children who were in the house that night.

Duke Lawrence Watrous, 36, was released on $100,000 bail Dec. 30 after a judge agreed to reduce bail from the original $200,000 set when he was arraigned on the charge. He also was charged with endangering a child and tampering with evidence.

But on Thursday a judge agreed with Child Protective Services lawyers that he should not have access to the children and that his former wife Brandy Michelle Washburn-Rives should have only supervised visitation with them at CPS headquarters. She recently lost custody of the children, and they lived with him.

The judge’s order specifically restricts either parent from entering school property at the schools the children attend.

The records state that a suitable relative has not been found to place the children with and that they will remain in foster care.

Both parents previously had been investigated by CPS workers in Texas and in Oklahoma.

“We’re pleased that the judge followed the request of CPS, our client,” said First Assistant District Attorney Jamie Beck. “And we will support that as long as this investigation is ongoing, at the minimum. The two surviving children need to be protected.”

According to court records, Watrous had been drinking beer and was recklessly handling a handgun when it discharged with 10-year-old Ashley, her 9-year-old brother and 1-year-old sister in the room.

The large-caliber bullet struck Ashley in the head, and the boy called 911. Paramedics tried to save the girl but were not able to resuscitate her.

Watrous was charged with manslaughter on Christmas Day and with tampering with evidence and endangerment to a child a few days later. Those charges related to the other children being in the room when the gun discharged and the allegation that he hid the gun in a locked safe after firing it.

The Department of Family and Protective Services took the children from the home that night on an emergency order.

On Thursday, the department, acting through the Denton County District Attorney’s Office, asked District Judge Jake Collier to continue the temporary order in light of lawyers’ requests for both parents asking that they be allowed to have them.

Neither parent appeared in court that day but both were represented by attorneys. Neither could be reached for comment for this story.

Court records show that Watrous was arrested on a charge of injury to a child in April but subsequently was no-billed by a grand jury. That stemmed from an allegation from CPS that he had physically abused another of his children who lived with his mother but who visited Watrous.

Watrous had two additional children from a prior marriage, according to court records. He had restricted visitation with those children. His former wife Aude Freeman accused him of physically abusing her and their children.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com.