Man on probation after pleading guilty to child endangerment

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man was placed on probation Tuesday morning after pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of a 5-year-old boy by biting and spanking him.

William E. Storey, 47, pleaded guilty before Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett to a misdemeanor charge of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Originally charged with felony of abuse of a child, Storey entered his plea after the state filed an amended information with the court.

It alleges between Oct. 11 and 13, Storey acted with criminal negligence in a manner that created a substantial risk to the life, body and health of a child younger than 17 by "inflicting cruel and inhumane punishment by biting and spanking" him.

Butler County prosecuting attorney Kevin Barbour said the disposition of Storey's case was a result of a negotiated plea.

"The circumstances were that [Storey], somebody had left [the victim] with him," Barbour said. "He had [the victim] all the time and was trying to get him to pay attention."

The child, Barbour said, was bruised, but had no "permanent injuries. [He had] really bad bruises, but he wasn't permanently, physically hurt. Psychologically, I don't know."

After accepting Storey's plea, Pritchett sentenced him to one year in the Butler County Jail, with suspended execution of the sentence, and placed him on two years of supervised probation. Pritchett also ordered Storey to attend anger management classes.

With Storey facing a year in jail if he violates probation, "I thought [the outcome] was fair enough," Barbour said.

Storey pleaded guilty in connection with an investigation by the Poplar Bluff Police Department.

During the investigation, Storey, who was told of his rights, provided officers with a written statement, according to patrolman Darron Moore's probable-cause statement on file with the court.

In that statement, Storey "admitted to biting and spanking" a 5-year-old child under his care, Moore said. "The biting and spanking resulted in large areas of bruising on the child's buttocks and arms."

The boy and his infant brother, Moore said, were taken into protective custody by officials from the Missouri Department of Social Services.