Abusive dad regains custody of 6-year-old son despite being arrested for felony child abuse (Memphis, Tennessee)

Typical coddling by the family courts. NOT ONE WORD on what happened to this little boy's mom or what happened to her. Dollars to donuts that Daddy beat her too.

Dad is identified as TONY JOHNSON.

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/26757800/father-charged-with-abuse-neglect-months-after-being-reunited-with-6-year-old-son

Father charged with abuse, neglect months after being reunited with 6-year-old son

Posted: Oct 10, 2014 3:49 PM EDT Updated: Oct 10, 2014 5:53 PM EDT

By WMCActionNews5.com
Staff By Anna Marie Hartman

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - A Mid-South father is facing child abuse and neglect charges after a spanking that left bruises on his 6-year-old son.

Tony Johnson lost custody of his son temporarily after admitting that his 6-year-old's bruises were the result of a spanking. Juvenile court reunited the two in April. But on Friday, Johnson was called to court on child abuse and neglect charges.

Why did it take the court so long to react?

In March, Johnson took his son to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital for a checkup. Medical staff noticed the child had several large bruises on his right leg and thigh. Johnson admitted to hitting his son with a belt for being bad in school. Johnson lost custody of his son until he completed a parenting class mandated by juvenile court in April.

On Thursday night, he was served with an arrest warrant. He was then transferred to domestic violence court where a judge told him he's facing up to one year behind bars. His original misdemeanor charge was upgraded to a class E felony. He was ordered to stay away from his son.

Johnson doesn't know why one court would give his son back only to have another take him away.

"I'm trying to raise my kid the right way in this hard world," Johnson said. "It won't happen again, but I want to warn other parents that everyone wants you to keep your kids out of trouble, but then you can't whoop them."

Johnson says he's learned a valuable lesson, and in the wake of so much youth violence, he defends his responsibility as a parent.

"Sometimes you've got to let them [kids] know that you mean business or next thing you know they'll be coming to school with a gun," he said.

But, in the eye of the courts, beating a child until they bruise is a criminal act.

Johnson was ordered to return to court on Monday where his original bond of $100 could be increased now that the charges are much more serious.