A man who admitted striking his 5-year-old daughter with a belt will be allowed to enter the second chance program, avoiding jail time on child abuse charges.

The man, Matthew R. Robertson, 27, was placed into the program by General Sessions Judge Bill Locke. The second chance program allows first-offenders in crimes like domestic assault to avoid jail provided they commit no more offenses. Robertson will also be required to pay court costs as part of the agreement.

According to McMinnville policeman Matthew Stubblefield, the child was found with belt marks on her waist, thigh and buttocks as well as an abrasion on her cheek when police investigated a report the child had been abused. The injuries were photographed and the child was interviewed about what happened.

“She said that he had picked her up from school and she was crying and he told her to stop crying,” the officer reported, noting the girl said she was still crying when they arrived home. “At that time she said he hit her in the face and, since she was still crying, he took her to the bathroom and hit her with his belt.”

The officer said he then made contact with the suspect and received a statement of his version of events.
“He admitted he did strike his child with a belt approximately 10 times on her bare buttocks,” the suspect told police. “He also admitted that he hit his child on the forehead with the open palm of his hand.”

The fact the girl was under 8 made the charge a felony.