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City resident is charged with abuse

ELKINS — A Randolph County man is facing a felony charge after allegedly leaving bruises on a child in his care.

Michael Shane White, 35, of Elkins, is charged with one felony count of child abuse causing injury. His bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety by Randolph County Magistrate George M. “Mike” Riggleman.

At approximately 8 p.m. Oct. 8, Patrolman T.C. Bennett, of the Elkins Police Department, received a walk-in complaint regarding child abuse from the mother of the alleged victim, according to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court.

The woman said, approximately 30 minutes prior, she had met White at Go-Mart, located on Railroad Avenue in Elkins, to transfer custody of a shared child. She added the child had been in the custody of White from Sept. 24 to that night.

According to the criminal complaint, at approximately 2:30 p.m. the same day, she had received text messages from White saying the child had fallen off a bicycle and gotten bruised.

After picking up the child, the woman said he wanted to “show her his ‘boo boos,'” and she saw “bad bruising” all over the child’s backside that looked like “finger marks.” When asked what happened to cause the injuries, the child told the woman that his father “beat his butt,” the complaint states.

Bennett also observed what he referred to in the report as “extensive bruising” and “red marks” on the child’s buttocks. Bennett took photographs of the injuries, police said.

Bennett asked the child how he sustained the injuries and was told “Daddy did it.” Bennett then asked the child “how did your daddy do that?” and he responded “Like this,” while he “swung his hand and arm around as if to slap something,” the complaint states.

If convicted, White could be sentenced to not less than one nor more than five years in the state penitentiary and fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000. Or, at the discretion of the court, sentenced to not more than one year in jail.

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