In a deeply unsettling case emerging from West Virginia, a woman faces serious charges of child abuse following alarming revelations from her son. The boy reported to state troopers that his mother physically assaulted him, kicking him in the groin and hitting him with a wooden paddle, resulting in visible bruising on his shoulder, chest, and back.
The accused, 32-year-old Courtney Crites, resided with her five children and her boyfriend in Barbour County. Details outlined in the criminal complaint indicate that state police were alerted to potential abuse on January 1; however, the source of the tip-off remains undisclosed.
Subsequent to the initial report, all five children were interviewed over two days, January 8 and 9, at the Child Advocacy Center in Harrison County. Investigators examined the interviews on video, which provided crucial insights into the domestic environment the children were subjected to.
The child, referred to as PC in the complaint, described a pattern of abusive behavior from Crites. He recounted an incident approximately two months prior where Crites allegedly kicked him in a sensitive area. The boy also mentioned being punished with a 2×4 paddle, ominously dubbed “the attitude adjuster,” for minor transgressions such as improperly putting away his clothes.
This harrowing account underscores the severity of the charges against Crites, as authorities continue to piece together evidence in this troubling case.
Courtney Crites by kc wildmoon
“PC described that Ms. Crites had pushed him outside in the freezing cold, eventually letting him back in before striking him with the paddle breaking it.”
He showed the size of the paddle to be about 2 inches wide and 2 inches tall and about 2 feet long.
He said the bruises she left on his body lasted for about two months. He further said that she was kick him as she walked by when she was mad.
The boy, whose age was not given, told staff at the Child Advocacy Center that he was “scared to death” to go back and live with Crites.
Crites was charged with three counts of child abuse creating risk of injury and was booked into the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond, West Virginia Metro News reported.
