PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Flint man was charged after a video shared on TikTok allegedly showed him striking a child in the face in Pontiac.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office was alerted about the video by a concerned citizen on Friday, October 14th. After an investigation, it was determined that the incident occurred near the 1200 block of Perry St. in the City of Pontiac.
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The graphic video shows the male suspect verbally disciplining a minor child under the age of 5 for kicking dirt while standing in line at a food truck. Seconds later, the male suspect is seen dragging the child by the arm before aggressively striking the child in the face.
John Wesley Hanley III, 25, of Flint, was charged with one count of fourth-degree child abuse. He was arraigned today in the 50th District Court in Pontiac. A personal bond was set at $20,000.
"The actions depicted in this video are abhorrent," Sheriff Bouchard said. "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. I am proud of the investigative team for their diligence in bringing swift justice in this case". Sheriff further added, "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."