Dad charged with burning 1-year-old son with hot coffee (Hampton Roads, Virginia)

Dad ERIC POWERS is charged with intentionally burning his 1-year-old son by holding the baby's hand in a coffee cup and causing "severe burns." Ostensibly this was a lesson for the baby about grabbing things. Riiight. Note the classic enabler excuses they always dust off for abusive dads--he was "inexperienced" blah blah blah. (Why Daddy's mother is so extensively quoted I don't know. And where is this baby's mother??? Was this baby "visiting" dad at the time of the abuse?)

However you slice it, the message is always the same: Dad's actions are never really his responsibility.

http://www.wtkr.com/news/wtkr-coffee-burn-baby,0,5484285.story

Local father charged with burning 1-year-old son with hot coffee
WTKR-TV3

A local father has been charged with burning his one-year-old with a cup of coffee.

As a 14-month-old baby, Aiden is learning the meaning of the word 'no' - a lesson his father, 22-year-old Eric Powers, tried teaching him the hard way.

Eric's mother, Dionne Howerton, says one night last October Aiden kept reaching for anything he could get his hands on, including coffee mugs.

"My son kept telling him no, no, and so to teach him not to he put his hand in the coffee," Howerton said.

"He messed up, I was very angry!"

The family took Aiden to the hospital where Powers was arrested hours later for child abuse.

Court documents obtained by NewsChannel 3 shows baby Aiden's hand had been "kept in hot liquid for an extended period of time" causing severe burns to Aiden's hand.

Yesterday a grand jury indicted Powers with felony child abuse and malicious wounding.

Howerton says the charges are too harsh for a young parent whose inexperience as a father led him to make a rash decision.

"He regrets what he did to his son. It's not just an intentional thing. I think it was spur of the moment, not thinking."

Dionne Howerton says her son needs parenting classes instead of jail time.

Though Aiden's hand has healed, the family says it will be a while before they recover from what was supposed to be a simple lesson that has turned into a lifetime of regret.

Powers has been released on a $350 bond and was ordered not to have any contact with his son. He will face a judge Wednesday for his arraignment.