Authorities say a Flint man was arrested and charged with fourth-degree child abuse after a video of the man hitting a child under 5 years old in the face went viral on the social media platform TikTok. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May
OAKLAND COUNTY, MI – Authorities say a Flint man was arrested and charged with fourth-degree child abuse after a video of the man hitting a child under 5 years old in the face went viral on the social media platform TikTok.
John Wesley Hanley III, 25, was arraigned Saturday, Oct. 22, in 50th District Court in Pontiac on one count of fourth-degree child abuse, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Hanley III, who authorities said is from Flint, was released on a $20,000 personal recognizance bond after pleading not guilty to the charge Saturday.
“The actions depicted in this video are abhorrent” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement Saturday. “Seeing a grown man, strike a toddler in the face, decking him to the ground is extremely disturbing.
“Violence of this nature, especially when it involves children, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he continued. “I am proud of the investigative team for their diligence in bringing swift justice in this case.”
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said it was alerted on Oct. 14 to an incident of child abuse that was being shared on TikTok.
A concerned citizen forwarded a copy of the video to the sheriff’s office via email and authorities were able to determine the incident took place near the 1200 block of Perry Street in Pontiac.
The video, which the sheriff’s office described as graphic, shows a man they say they identified as Hanley III yelling at a minor child for kicking dirt while standing in line at a food truck.
Seconds later, the man is seen dragging the child by the arm through the parking lot and then hitting the child in the face.
Detectives were able to determine the exact location of the incident through the video that was sent by a concerned party, and obtained security footage from a business seen in the video, the sheriff’s office said.
Hanley III was identified through social media and was taken into custody Friday, Oct. 21.
“I want to thank the person(s) for bringing this TikTok video to our attention and encourage others to do the same if they witness criminal acts on any social media platform,” Bouchard said.
Read more at The Flint Journal:
Records detail case against former Grand Blanc Township trustee accused of swindling customers
Husband, wife recall encounter with man accused in Flint Family Dollar murder moments after shooting
Woman killed after being hit by vehicle in Flint
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