A West Virginia woman has been charged with child abuse after police say she beat a boy with a wooden paddle she called “the attitude adjuster” and did other cruel things to him.
What Happened
Police say 32‑year‑old Courtney Crites of Belington was arrested on Friday after a local child advocacy centre investigated the case. Officers were alerted about possible abuse, and the centre took statements from children in the home.
According to the criminal complaint, advocates spoke to five children who lived with Crites and her boyfriend. Those interviews were recorded and given to police, who then charged Crites with three counts of felony child abuse.
Boy’s Statement to Investigators
Police say a male juvenile told them that Crites would hit and kick him when she got angry. In one incident about two months earlier, the boy said she kicked him in the privates.
He also said that if he didn’t put away his clothes the way she wanted, she would take out a wooden paddle she called “the attitude adjuster” and hit him with it.
On one occasion, the complaint says, Crites pushed the boy outside in the freezing cold. She later let him back inside and hit him so hard with the paddle that it broke.
Bruises and Fear
The boy told police he got bruises on his shoulder, chest and back from being hit. He said the bruises lasted for a couple of months. He also said that when Crites was upset, she would just walk past him and kick him again.
After the paddle broke, the boy said he was “scared to death” of Crites. He described the wooden board as about 2 inches by 4 inches and roughly 2 feet long.
Other Children and the Home
Police say Crites lives in the home with the other minor children and the boy who spoke to investigators, in Barbour County. It is not clear what the exact relationship was between Crites and the boy.
Arrest and Jail
Crites was taken into custody and is now being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail. Her bond has been set at $100,000. She was scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a disposition hearing — a meeting where court officials decide what happens next.
