Father Charged with Using Belt on Girl

Deputies and the Department of Social Services were called after a father allegedly left belt marks on his ten-year-old daughter.

Michael Preston Smith, 38, of old Lumberton Road, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor child abuse and released on a$1,500 unsecured bond, according to detention center reports.

Deputies were called to Columbus Regional May 18 after the victim’s grandmother discovered the girl, 10, was badly bruised. The grandmother told deputies she was concerned that Smith, the child’s father, had caused the bruises.

“The Grandmother reported that the child had sustained bruising, which she believed was the result of being struck with a belt,” the report said. She also raised “concerns” regarding the child’s living conditions.
The Department of Social Services and Sheriff’s Office are investigating.