Man Arrested For Hitting Baby In The Face

Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen says a Haughton man has been arrested for hitting his 10-week-old daughter in the face when he became angry while he was babysitting her.   

Choncy R. Moore, 20, of the 200 block of S. Cherry St. in Haughton, admitted to Bossier detectives late last week he hit his daughter in the face with his hand while babysitting her at his house Wednesday.  The child’s parents do not live together, and Moore had been watching the baby at his house while the child’s mother was away.  When she picked up her daughter later that day, she noticed markings on the baby’s face when she took her out of her car seat at her own house.  When she asked Moore about the markings, he said it was an allergic reaction to some soap he used on the child.  She took her daughter to the emergency room, where her baby was initially diagnosed with a facial contusion, and no neurological damage was noted during the medical exam. 

Detectives later interviewed Moore Friday, and he eventually admitted to hitting the baby.  Moore was charged with cruelty to a juvenile and was transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility; his bond is set at $100,000.

Sheriff Deen reminds parents of all ages they need to be on guard against the devastation of child abuse, especially for new parents struggling to cope with raising a newborn. 

“Children are God’s precious gift to parents,” Deen said.  “If you feel the stress of parenting starting to take its toll or you feel you just can’t take it anymore, please call a friend, talk to your pastor, get some help.  As adults, it’s our job to promote the social, physical and emotional well-being of our children, not diminish those traits.  Take some parenting classes, learn anger management, and if you need to, you can always call the Bossier Sheriff’s Department before a matter gets out of hand.  I can’t stress enough, however, that we will not tolerate any form of child abuse here in Bossier Parish.”  The Bossier Sheriff’s Department can be contacted 24-hours-a-day at 318-965-2203.

April is recognized as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  Children can be victims of abuse by neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse and emotional abuse, and more than 3.5 million cases of child abuse are reported each year.   An estimated 1,537 children died as a result of abuse or neglect in 2010. 

The signs and symptoms of child abuse may vary from child to child and from type of abuse.  If you suspect that abuse is taking place or you need additional information, call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-855-4LA-KIDS.  The local Department of Children and Family Services (formerly Child Protective Services) can also assist by providing anger management and parenting guidance, and they can be reached 318-636-7323.