A Texas County man faces a felony child abuse charge after a Texas County Sheriff’s Department investigation of an incident Friday at Raymondville.
Willie E. Thornton, 29, of 15077 Wright Lane, Apt. B, in Cabool, is charged with abuse or neglect of a child – serious emotional or physical injury – no sexual contact (a class B felony).
A county deputy reported that a Missouri Division of Family Services investigator requested assistance at an Old Yukon Road residence at Raymondville. The DFS representative told the officer that during the course of checking on six children at the location, a large handprint was observed on the face of a 4-year-old boy.
The deputy reported that the boy’s left eye was blackened and his face displayed dark bruising as if he had been slapped hard. During questioning, Thornton initially denied hitting the child, but then admitted to doing so after the officer told him that a woman witnessed him do it, according to a report. Thornton stated he hit the boy hard due to a problem with his elbow that caused the blow to be harder than he intended, an officer said.
Thornton is in the Texas County Jail on $350,000 bond.