Inset: MaCayla A. Johnson (West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation). Background: The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office in West Virginia (Google Maps).
A 24-year-old West Virginia stepmother allegedly struck her 7-year-old stepdaughter with a belt after the girl said her punishment did not hurt, according to authorities.
MaCayla Ashton Johnson was arrested and charged with one count of child abuse by a parent or guardian creating a substantial risk of bodily injury, court records show.
A Randolph County Schools employee notified the county sheriff’s office on Sept. 15 after reporting suspected abuse involving a student, The Inter-Mountain, a local news outlet, reported.
According to the employee, the child’s father called to report that an incident the previous evening had “went too far.” He reportedly said he wanted the school to know before teachers noticed anything.
The father allegedly told investigators that Johnson had been disciplining the girl for not listening when the child said “it didn’t hurt.” Johnson then reportedly ordered that the girl should feel pain before grabbing a belt.
A school employee later saw bruises on the girl’s arms, hand and lower back and contacted Child Protective Services, according to the newspaper. The sheriff’s office asked the employee to photograph the injuries and send the images to investigators.
DON’T MISS: The 1927 Klan Rally in Queens: Fred Trump's Arrest Explained – VIDEO
During an interview with detectives, Johnson allegedly acknowledged striking the child with a belt. She said she normally spanked the girl with an “open palm,” but had been “going through a lot” and felt “bombarded” following the death of a family member, WDTV, a CBS affiliate based in Weston, West Virginia, reported.
Johnson also reportedly admitted using a belt to discipline the girl on two earlier occasions. She said she used only “about 4 to 5 inches of the tip of the belt opposite the buckle end,” according to the station.
Johnson reportedly said the child moved between the toilet and bathtub during the incident. She allegedly asked the girl, “If [the] punishment don’t hurt, why are you fighting it?”
When questioned about the bruises on the child’s arms, hands and back, Johnson allegedly said the injuries occurred as the girl tried to shield herself from the belt strikes, Morgantown-based radio station WAJR reported.
Johnson appeared in court on Oct. 17 and pleaded not guilty. She remains held at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $2,000 cash-only bond. Her next court date had not been announced.
The post Stepmom ditched typical ‘open palm’ to whip 7-year-old girl with belt after child claimed punishment ‘didn’t hurt’: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
