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Molino Man Charged With Child Cruelty Over Spanking
January 7, 2012
A Molino man is facing a felony child abuse charge after allegedly spanking his girlfriend’s child too hard.
Mason Jacob Stanley, 21, is charged with cruelty toward a child without great harm. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $10,000 bond.
A Department of Children and Families investigator told deputies that workers at the Kids Place Learning Center on Pensacola Boulevard had become alarmed at the amount of black and blue marks and the severity of them on the child’s buttocks.
Stanley, the boyfriend of the child’s mother, babysat the child the day prior to the injuries being reported, according to an arrest report. He allegedly spanked the child when he soiled his underwear.
Stanley told deputies that he did spank the child one time after discovering the soiled underwear. He told deputies that he saw red marks on the child’s buttocks “but thought that it was a rash and not a result of him spanking him,” the arrest report states.
The child was taken to the Gulf Coast Kids House for treatment. Stanley is not the child’s father, according to the arrest report.
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Comments
47 Responses to “Molino Man Charged With Child Cruelty Over Spanking”
I agree that the child shouldnt have been SPANKED at all for an accident,& I dont agree with a non-parent spanking a child. but as a father of 4 from 22 down to 7. I have experienced alot in 22 yrs of child rearing. unfortunately for me i spent 30 days in jail over the xmas & new years holiday that just pasted because of some over zealous people. My daughter is not abused, it was her 1st. but i have lost dearly. some of you dont realize that goverment has taken away the parents rights to rear their children. Certain states offer $ to agencies to increase foster parents,adoption ect. mean while, my house has a lien on it now, Im out $5000, for a lawyer,charged as a felony,Lost my job( locked up 30 days) & now afraid to correct my child who is living in my house
Half of you are about crazy and blind and the other half I have to agree with…A spanking is barely past a pop…A beating leaves a mark weather it bruises or not. I don’t care much who this guy is who the mom is or how old the child is-you don’t spank for an accident and you don’t beat ANY child!!! Too many people look past this and shrug…If more people reported signs of abuse or abuse they see with their own eyes…maybe we can protect these babies and the cycle of violence can stop. I have children of my own and I have NEVER left a mark or bruise on any of them!! I believe in discipline, but NOT child abuse.
*ps briar whatever…I have NEVER used a flyswatter on my school aged children and I constantly get praise on how well behaved they are. One was used on me and I had track marks up the backs of my thighs…Tell me that was ok!!! :*(
Bama Lama Ding Dong,
Not to be nit picky, but the quote you attributed to me was not me. I actually agree as a whole, discipline is lacking in many children’s lives, as evidenced by their behavior. But, I also realize some kids with good parents have bad days and act unsightly. So, I try not to judge when I see things like you described.
they will get whats due them…
“Possibly you have issues of your own that bring you satisfaction degrading a child you know nothing about…”
No Jessica I have no issues, I just know that my children weren’t obnoxious and some others are. Maybe all obnoxiously loud and attention-seeking children have hearing impairment. In that case it’s epidemic.
But I doubt it. I think it’s simply children are a product of their family environment.
Defective parents breed defective children. Plain and simple.
>>>This child was beaten and for this online paper to call it a “spanking” just because the beating was around the child’s rear-end is bad, inaccurate and irresponsible “journalism”
To the commenter just below this one —
Actually, good and responsible journalism is reporting what happened accurately. All we know about what happened is what the Sheriff’s Office report says. And it says “spanked” and “spanking”. It does not say “beaten” — that would be inaccurate for us to report and would be an opinion, not a fact. Reporting what the Sheriff’s Office investigators said, whether you agree with it or not, is accurate journalism.
I am sad that people don’t realize how bad a child has to be bruised/beaten for law enforcement to actually do something. This child was beaten and for this online paper to call it a “spanking” just because the beating was around the child’s rear-end is bad, inaccurate and irresponsible “journalism”. I worked as a child abuse investigator for several years. I can count on ONE hand the number of people law enforcement arrested and charged due to BEATING a child. They will NOT arrest someone for spanking a child. Again, BAD and IRRESPONSIBLE “journalism”.
” Sounds like it was just the butt. Lets rule out beating because this is how everyone is taking it.”
–Is the butt void of nerves and feelings? Bruising means there was excessive force used, and that us not acceptable.
“You dont know if he meant to leave a bruise. Or if he saw it and felt bad”
–A parent that shakes their child to death doesn’t mean it either, and I’m sure they feel bad as well. Are you so keen to look the other way for them?
“It probably hurt him more to give it than the kid.”
–Show me his bruises.
I’m not against “spanking”, but this is excessive. It is ridiculous that people would defend it. I’m glad the daycare workers were diligent enough to report it, and I hope it is a chance for the young man to get help.
Wow… i wander if there were bruises on his arms from being hit, or on his back. But i dont think there were. Sounds like it was just the butt. Lets rule out beating because this is how everyone is taking it. No one knows his side of the story. You dont know if he meant to leave a bruise. Or if he saw it and felt bad. I dont see a picture that shows how bad it actually is. This may even be the first spanking this young man has ever gave. It probably hurt him more to give it than the kid. He probably is to be a good parent. Its the first time this has been reported. And most likely the last time too.
>>>I just wanted to mention that children do not get “treatment” at the Gulf Coast Kids House, their injuries are “assessed” by the Child Protection Team who then documents their findings.
The arrest report specifically states that the victim was transported “to the Gulf Coast Kids House for treatment after she observed the injuries” — that’s why it says that in our story.
IT WAS A SPANKING …NOT ABUSE..DEAL WITH IT.
Dear Bama Lama Ding Dong…..your comment is sad…what if the child at the resturant had a hearing, stuttering or any other problem that may have caused him/her to speak in such a manner? Maybe your life has been perfect? Maybe not! Possibly you have issues of your own that bring you satisfaction degrading a child you know nothing about…
As to the child that was possibly abused, my heart is heavy and I pray for this baby!
I just wanted to mention that children do not get “treatment” at the Gulf Coast Kids House, their injuries are “assessed” by the Child Protection Team who then documents their findings. The Gulf Coast Kids House is not a hospital or doctor’s office.
The number of individuals defending the act of bruising an innocent child leads me to wonder how many unreported instances of child abuse we have in this area. Anyone hitting a child hard enough to leave bruising is NOT spanking…they are beating them! They should be ashamed of their actions, and if you are incapable of disciplining a child with leaving bruises, you are in serious need of parenting classes. And please, don’t feel the need to tell me you have raised X number of productive citizen by practicing such abuse. It is in spite of the abuse, not because of it. Children without medical conditions do not bruise that easily.
Kids need their butt whipped..time out does not work..oh lil johnny stop doing that doesnt work..a good old fashion butt whipping works.. the kid could bruise easy..who checked this out yall have this man convicted before he has been to court its all about money not about nothing else..whip a child on the butt im not saying legs and back and soforth im saying on his/her butt. if they think this child was abused do you think they would of sent him to daycare…NOOOO. HE might of left a few bruises but as for being abused i think not
I have to admit, an incident the other day gave me a fresh insight into this subject of spanking/misbehaving children.
I was at a restaurant and these two young children with their mother (boy about 2, girl maybe 4) were sitting near me. The children were VERY LOUD. Not acting crazy, not running around, just talking LOUD and in a very grating (to my ears) manner. I wondered what makes some children ANNOYING while others are not? My children (grown now) NEVER talked like that, in public or private. They were never annoying to us or anybody else.
This little boy was trying to tell the waiter something in a voice that had the level of a Boeing 747 “I don’t want…. I don’t want a…. I…..I don’t want a……” I just wanted to walk over there and say “What the hell DON’T you want son? Spit it out!”. And the mother just sat there, in my mind INDULGING that child’s total failure of speaking and social learning.
So I guess my long drawn out post is to say that some kids are not enjoyable, but WHY? Is it parenting fail? Are they developmentally shortchanged? Do they need better parents, a good whupping, what exactly is called for? Or are they just destined to grow up to be the me-first, loud, obnoxious adults we all encounter?
@whatever,u took those words right out of my mouth.
“Cruelty toward a child without great harm”. Of all possibilities here my first
thought is someone in authority wants to show the authority they have been given
by law over parents. Tell me, is one mark acceptable? What about 3 black and
blue marks? Should bicycles, roller skates, pee wee football, etc. be outlawed?
Afterall, these things also cause these “unexceptable” marks. What do these
people find acceptable?
All I can say, my parents loved me very much as they made it clear every day.
However, without a doubt, they would be charged and convicted for child abuse
under current laws, as they did not “spare the rod”.
I don’t know these people so I can not say if it was too hard, if he should or should not have spanked. What I can say is I am a mom of a rambunctious child and I have spanked my child (not excessively), but because he was jumping around he was spanked on a soft area and received a bruise. Do I feel bad? NOPE sure do not. He needed that spanking! I am not raising a child that is going to be disrespectful, rude, and disobedient. Look at the lack of discipline in the last couple of generations. Lack of discipline is A LOT of the problem.
I’m 30 years old, and not to old to get a butt whooping from my parents . Is that fear from the one’s who love and support me.or cause they taught me some right and wrong!
This article doesn’t state how old the child was, but if he is being potty trained then he may require assistance at day care. I know mine needed a little extra help. When a day care sees severe bruising on a child it is their responsiblity to report it to the authorities. This may have been a spanking gotten out of hand but if not taken care of now, you may be attending this childs funeral. A parenting class would be appropriate or anger management. Especially if he is remaining in this childs life.
No child should have to grow up in fear of those that are supposed to love and protect them. Respect has to be learned and EARNED.
REGARDING:
“Yes he may have hit this child a little too hard. But I can assure you he apologized and didn’t mean it.”
Well, as long as he apologized, all is well.
Shame on people for fearing he might do worse if not checked just because they were “alarmed at the amount of black and blue marks and the severity of them on the child’s buttocks.” Maybe the child just bruises easily. Maybe the professionals don’t know the proper amount of black an blue marks and severity of bruises a good babysitter needs to leave. Shame on them for risking erring on the side of the child (the younger, smaller, weaker child, I mean).
David for good babysitters
hoping it was all a misunderstanding
REGARDING:
“Uhm I became a mom at 16 I am now 20 and I’m doin better then most 30year olds are with their kids don’t be so quick to judge”
Or do you just THINK you’re doing better?
Maybe you are, me not know.
I DO know some people think they’re doing a wonderful job of raising their children and of visiting them in prison afterward or of putting flowers on their graves. Others are proud of the number of children they fathered and even visit every so often, with no responsibility implied. Any shortcomings which might turn up, they just blame on the mothers.
Maybe you’re right and it’s a good thing for children to be raising children. After all, who needs an educated parent in a committed loving relationship with full family support? Of course, children CAN continue to further their educations while properly taking care of their own children and earning the money to feed, clothe and shelter them. It’s not easy, but easy is over rated.
Good for you for managing it.
I’ll keep thinking on the matter, haven’t reached a conclusion yet.
After all, deciding what is good for children is wrongly judgmental.
Probably not even worth thinking on.
David considering the best for all children
If you are apply force hard enough to a child to leave bruising, you have crossed the line from “spanking” to “child abuse”. I hope the mother will be very careful in the future if she allows this man back into her child’s life. And, if so, I hope he is willing to at least take a parenting class and learn how and when to properly discipline a child. You should never spank a child for soiling himself, you will just make the situation worse.
@hmm
Thank you. The rest of you should honestly be ashamed. Judging him when all you do is read northescambia and form your opinions. T Makes me sick for people to do what yall are doing. Mason is one of my good friends and he’s not like that. This is being blown way out of proportion.
Honestly when I heard this I was not shocked at all. From knowing Mason for a very long time, I know that he loses his temper. I also know the child’s mother & she is an amazing mother. No one knows the person they’re supposed to trust is going to beat their kid. Her 4-year-old daughter saw it all happen & explained it to the police. Mason lost his temper & left bruises on the child’s behind. That is completely ridiculous & I don’t understand how someone could have the heart to do that to a baby. Needless to say, he needs to get exactly what he deserves, JAIL TIME & A LOT of it!!!!
Mason is a good kid. Yes he may have hit this child a little to hard. But I can assure you he apologize and didn’t mean it. You guys have no right to judge him. God is the only one who can judge. And he will judge you so continue talking crap about this , your day will come. Mason we are praying for you. Hate me if you want.ill pray for you too.
Uhm I became a mom at 16 I am now 20 and I’m doin better then most 30year olds are with their kids don’t be so quick to judge
It never ceases to amaze me when I read the comments on different articles, I notice how some people are aggressively attacked, called every name under the sun and their sometimes innocent parents are often criticized while others are casually passed over and the comments only address the offense rather than the offender. It appears to only depend upon “who” committed the offense ………………………
Sometimes I think children shouldn’t be raising children, especially when they don’t have a caring connection to them.
On the other hand, the older I get the older I still think of people as children. I’m pretty much up to 30 so far.
David for not producing unloved children
I agree with Gravedigger. Spanking a child for soiling his pants is about as effective as rubbing a dog’s nose in his own feces when he has an accident. The only thing they learn is to fear you; no real lesson is learned.
@ who who
Really? This baby is still being potty trained, accidents happen. Im sure that the child wears a pull up of some sort to daycare where they change diapers! Not look at kids butts! That or they may have wet their underwear at daycare too! Do you not know anything about babies? In the process of changing a diaper/underwear it is impossible not to look at their private parts, and that is why the people who work in daycares are trusted, professional people. Not sex offenders, they do background checks.
Yes, I agree – more parents need to discipline their children. However, spanking a young child for soiling their underwear is beyond ridiculous, especially leaving bruises; that is most definitely abuse! Even if that’s how he was disciplined growing up, as a 21 year old adult, he has a brain to KNOW that it’s not right! I know this kid, and from experience I can say that he most likely did this out of anger because he had to clean up the mess. Pathetic.
You folks have all missed the point. NO-ONE should beat a child for having an accident in their pants! Now do you understand?
I had lots and lots (and lots
) of spankings… wooden spoons, fly swatter, hairbrush. None of them left bruises and none were for messing my pants as a little kid.
let some one look at my kids butt. that is potty trained. who’s is in the wrong,and should we check the worker from the day care. going around looking at kids butts naked!!!!!!.. On the other hand who has never seen a kid bust their butt by falling ,tripping, or being a kid. and never leaving scars, cuts and more or less a bruise or red mark on their body.
“but at some point in a childs developement even the best of parents will bruise there child!!!!”
This statement is absolutely false, and you don’t know WHAT you’re talking about by even uttering it. You are simply stating your OPINION that all good parents should bruise their children on occasion. What nonsense!
I’ve never bruised my children and they are both respectful well-behaved young adults. What matters in the development of a child is the parents who raise them. Children are a reflection of the parents. If you don’t like the way your young child behaves, you weren’t cut out to be a parent in the first place.
@Bratt Mom & Wow,
Where and how do you think this 21 year old young man learned to spank, hit, physically harm, etc. this child?
From HIS parents or caregivers most likely.
He is just reprimanding a disobediant child in the same manner he was most likely reprimanded when he disobeyed.
So now you recommend completing the cycle and having someone physically harm this young man; thus reaffirming that physical harm is the manner in which disobediance is handled.
There are plenty of ways of handling disobediance that DO NOT require spanking, hitting, or any other abusive behavior.
Furthermore spanking a child for soiling his pants is about as effective as rubbing a dog’s nose in his own feces when he has an accident. The only thing they learn is to fear you; no real lesson is learned.
If more adults took responsibility and disciplined the children around them we would see an increase in respect from our kids. Most mis behave outside the presence of there parents because they know they can. Teach kids to obey and respect all adults not just there own parent.
There is a difference between abuse and discipline, Leaving extreme bruises is abuse but at some point in a childs developement even the best of parents will bruise there child!!!!
Only authorities know if there was other bruises that would signify abuse.
This may be cause for investigation but not persacussion.
briarroot, last time I checked when it leaves several bruises it is not SPANKING it is ABUSE ! Back in the day my father n laws dad hit him over the head with a shovel because he fell asleep in the field, come to find out he had narcolepsy and could not help it, guess you would be ok with that too. Please Give ME a break, some people need to learn the difference between spanking and ABUSING< i have not seen anyone end up in jail yet just for spanking ! Leaving bruised like that should end your butt up in jail, you just dont go around doing that to children, I dont know how you were raised but this is not right and don't blame it on the crap statement " you cant discipline you kids or you end up in jail " because thats the difference, ABUSE ends u up in jail, not spanking, learn the difference !
Spanking is one thing, but leaving bruises is another
Wow! I went to school with this boy! And I agree Bratt Mom…someone does need to show him what a good ol’ butt whooping is!
Oh, gimme a break. Yeah, he shouldn’t have been spanking his girlfriend’s kid. It wasn’t his, after all. Yet the kind of spanking any well-brought-up adult can tell you they received as a kid will now land a parent in jail. “Why I remember the time my pappy whupped me black and blue behind the woodshed.” Definitely a thing of the past; yet a kid who is disciplined young won’t grow up to be a delinquent. “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” Granted, there are degrees; a toddler needs only swats; a school-child, the fly-swatter, and pre-teens the belt. America is the way it is because that will get you jail time.
Want to bring back good old American morals? Bring back the “board of education”, and drop the Doctor Spock nonsense. Then we can truly judge who is abusing, and who is merely spanking; as it is, a parent has no chance when before the court.
Leave marks on my child and I leave marks on you. I believe in spanking a child for doing wrong but for soiling his pants.
Not sure what comment to make on this one….guess the worse thing I see is the fact that its not his child…but if the child were 3-4 yrs old and spoiling his pants then there is a litttle different case…but there is still the fact..its not his child…maybe the mom should handle that spanking….I am not against spankings…but against abuse of a child for sure
This is sick!! For someone to hurt a child has to be sick in the head!! Poor baby, I will deff pray for this angel that he gets put in loving caring hands.
looks like someone needs to show him what a good ol’ butt whooping is, the child ( not that the age should matter ) but was obvisouly young enough to be in daycare, thank God someone came foward to report so maybe this will not happen again to that baby, What a terrible way to punish a baby, further more I hope that the daddy of this child is involved in his life and won’t take too good to anyone abusing his child and if the mother knew which obviosuly she should have since it was her baby, she should be charged too !