Child Beaten With Custom-Made Paddle

LAKE PLACID - A Lake Placid man, with a history of domestic violence battery, was charged with allegedly beating an 8 year old child with a custom-made paddle that had the victim's name on it, followed by the word "butt," authorities said.

James Lawrence Wilson, 41, was charged Sunday with cruelty to a child -- abuse without great bodily harm -- in connection with the incident that took place June 17, sheriff's investigators said.
He remained in the Highlands County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail Monday. The relationship between the two is not known.

The boy reportedly told a relative he wanted to go home after an 11-day visit. When the relative picked him up, the boy thanked her for rescuing him, the report stated.

According to the victim, he was trying to eat a dinner of crab legs when Wilson sat next to him and started eating his food.

He left the boy two crab legs. When the victim spit out a piece of shell on his plate, Wilson reportedly thought the he spit on the floor and started beating him, the report said.

Wilson, who is 6-feet 1-inch tall and weighs 225 pounds, is accused of grabbing the 2-by-4 fashioned into a paddle to beat up the child.

"He didn't just hit me, he beat me down," the boy told investigators.

After a few blows, the child put his hand on his behind to protect it, the report added. That's when his hand and pinkie finger were bruised. His hand was numb for about four hours, the report stated.
There was evidence of bruising on the child's behind as well, the report stated.

Wilson has five prior convictions for battery, the report stated.

According to the Highlands County Sheriff's Central Records, Wilson has been arrested on charges of domestic violence battery in 2005, domestic violence battery, violation of an order for protection against domestic violence in 2001, aggravated domestic violence battery, and domestic violence battery dating back to 2000.

He was also arrested on separate Pinellas County warrants on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI) and attempted purchase of cocaine.