Man charged with hate crime after trying to ‘beat gay out of child’
Andre Brown Jr (Pol County Sheriff’s Office)
A 33-year-old Florida man has been arrested and charged with aggravated child abuse after allegedly attacking a five-year-old boy in an attempt to “beat the gay out of him”.
The victim is reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to have suffered a fractured wrist, marks and bruising across his legs, arms, stomach and back, and a contusion to his forehead.
Andre Brown Jr., who is currently in custody in Polk County, will face enhanced charges as his alleged actions constitute a hate crime, as reported by the Miami Herald.
Brown Jr. was taken into custody in Polk County on Sunday (3 May) following reports that three children in his care had been physically abused, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office has not released details on why the children were in Brown Jr.’s care at the time or if they are relatives of his.
The investigation began after a nine-year-old girl sent a text message to her mother expressing fear over Brown Jr.’s violence, prompting law enforcement intervention. Deputies say the children reported that Brown targeted the five-year-old specifically because he believed the child was gay. The two other children also sustained injuries during the incident.
Brown admitted to deputies later on that he chose to hit the five-year-old boy to “beat the gay out of him if possible, but since it wasn’t possible he would beat him more,” a press release said.
The man also faces an additional charge of resisting arrest after reportedly struggling with deputies and shouting slurs during his detention.
Brown’s criminal history includes domestic battery strangulation, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping with intent to commit a felony, home invasion robbery with a firearm, and battery on a law enforcement officer, according to a press release.
