http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_20329113/menlo-park-father-who-emotionally-abused-and-beat
Menlo Park father who emotionally abused and beat teenage daughter sentenced to eight months in jail
Posted: 04/05/2012 07:26:41 AM PDT
A 37-year-old Menlo Park man who emotionally and physically abused his teenage daughter was sentenced Wednesday to eight months in county jail and ordered to complete a child-abuse treatment program.
In August 2010, Brooks struck the girl 25 to 30 times with a belt for yelling at him, leaving her with extensive bruising, according to the prosecutor's office. She tried to flee out a window but Brooks dragged her back. A few days later the teenager called her biological mother, who took her to the police to report the crimes.
Brooks originally pleaded not guilty to a felony child abuse charge and to a misdemeanor charge for "annoying or molesting" a minor, but he changed the plea in January to no contest to the child abuse count on the condition that he would be sentenced to no more than one year in jail, according to the district attorney's office.
In addition to jail time and a one-year treatment program, Criminal Presiding Judge Craig Parsons sentenced Brooks to three years of probation.