'Beat the gay out of him:' 5-year-old attacked in hate crime case, Polk sheriff says
‘Beat the gay out of him:’ 5-year-old attacked in hate crime case, Polk sheriff saysNews 6 Orlando
In a release, deputies said that the investigation kicked off after a 9-year-old in the man’s care contacted her mother, advising that he was abusing her and the other two children in the home.
During screenings, the children explained that the man — identified as 33-year-old Andre Brown — had gotten mad at the 5-year-old “for being gay” and slammed him on the ground several times, deputies added.
“He then got upset with the two other children for an alleged past occurrence and began striking all three children with a belt,” the release reads. “Deputies made contact with the 5-year-old boy, who had marks all over his body, which were consistent with being hit with a belt.”
Investigators reported that the 5-year-old had the most significant marks and bruising on his legs, arms, back and stomach, also sustaining a fracture on his right wrist and a contusion to his forehead.
However, the 5-year-old victim told investigators that he was afraid of Brown and didn’t want to say anything else, the release states.
Meanwhile, Brown reportedly told deputies that he decided to beat the victim because he was gay, stating he would “beat the gay out of him if it was possible, but since it wasn’t possible, he would beat him more.”
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How was the kid gay? Was he even gay? The answer is -- IT DOES NOT MATTER!
= new reply since forum marked as read
It seems overwhelming likely to me that this pos was the mom's boyfriend. The article doesn't say that in so many words, but it also doesn't say he was a relative or a friend, just that the children were "in his care." I'd be quite surprised to learn that he was NOT the boyfriend. I've read too many stories about kids being abused or even killed while while in the care of a boyfriend or stepfather. This kind of thing is depressingly common. 
I haven't seen confirmation of that in print. Early articles just said that they were left in his care, and that the 9 year old girl texted her mother about what was going on. Nothing about what the relationship was. There may be something more recent that has additional info, but based on the above, boyfriend seems very likely to me. I've heard too many awful stories about abusive boyfriends or stepfathers harming or even killing their girlfriend or wife's kids not to suspect this is another such story.
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