Michael Hall {BSO}
A woman’s boyfriend has been arrested and charged with child abuse after allegedly beating her son over school-related issues, leaving him with severe bruising.
According to a Sunrise Police Department report, a man, later identified as Michael Hall, 33, who resides with the child’s parent and acts as a father figure, allegedly administered excessive spanking after the child’s school reported he had been having behavioral issues.
The incident on March 5 began when the child misbehaved in class, prompting school administrators to notify the parents. Upon picking up the child that day, Hall acknowledged the behavioral concerns and said he would issue a punishment.
Five days later, on March 10, during a regularly scheduled custody exchange, Hall allegedly decided to punish the child further. Reports state that he struck the child multiple times with his hand, resulting in visible red marks on the child’s buttocks.
Authorities claim the matter came to light on March 13, when the child’s parent brought him to the Sunrise Police Department to report extensive bruising on the child’s buttocks. The child’s father explained that he first became suspicious when the child was acting odd, requesting more privacy than usual, and attempting to hide his injuries.
After pressing the child for an explanation, the father discovered extensive bruising on both buttocks. The child disclosed that he had been spanked once for each negative mark received on his daily school report—totaling approximately eight to nine strikes.
Investigators noted that even three days after the alleged punishment, the child’s bruising was still severe. Crime Scene investigators documented the injuries with photographs. Following this, detectives transported the child to the Nancy J. Cotterman Center in Oakland Park for a forensic interview. During the interview, the child reiterated the details of the punishment.
The arrest record shows that Hall was detained outside his residence later that day and taken to the Sunrise Public Safety Building for questioning.
During his interview, records show he admitted to the disciplinary action, stating that he spanked the child over a barstool approximately eight times. He also revealed that the child fell off the stool due to the force of the strikes and became visibly upset.
Hall also added that upon noticing the redness he caused on the child’s buttocks, he provided an ice pack. He ultimately admitted that the punishment was excessive and expressed regret.
Hall was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.
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