Man gets 30 days for spanking child, leaving red marks

Published 10:19 am Friday, January 5, 2018

A Columbia man will serve 30 days between jail and home incarceration after spanking a child so hard it left bruises and red marks.

Zachary Estes, 21, pleaded guilty to criminal attempt, which was amended from first-degree criminal abuse, Wednesday in Clark District Court. He was sentenced to 180 days, 150 of which were conditionally discharged for two years.

According to court documents, Estes was arrested in October, about a month after the incident. In the arrest warrant, the child’s mother, who was Estes’ fiancee at the time, said the three were out when the child started “acting  up.” Estes took the child to the car.

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When the mother arrived a few minutes later, the child was screaming and crying, she said.

The child said Estes had spanked him.

According to the warrant, the mother took pictures and recorded a conversation with Estes in which he reportedly said he “did not mean to spank him that hard” and “it doesn’t count unless he cries.”

About Fred Petke

Fred Petke is a reporter for The Winchester Sun, the Jessamine Journal and the State Journal. His beats include cops, courts, fire, public records, city and county government and other news. To contact Fred, email fred.petke@bluegrassnewsmedia.com or call 859-759-0051.

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