Criminal activities are a part of our society that we seem to be unable to escape entirely.
While there are many ways to commit a terrible crime, one of the nastiest offenses remains child abuse.
Unfortunately, this crime is relatively common and occurs in various forms, including neglect, emotional, sexual, and/or physical abuse. As stated by the CDCP, there were 683,000 child maltreatment reports in the year 2015 alone.
Recently, a story of a young mom from Oklahoma went viral and shook the public. As Bridgette Payne returned home, everything seemed as usual. She checked on her 5-year-old son only to discover that he was already in bed. This surprised her because he liked to stay up late.
KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2 / YouTube
Bridgette approached her son and pulled him out of bed to see what’s wrong. What she saw next left her shaken and utterly upset. The young boy’s face was covered with bruises, and his body was full of welts.
KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2 / YouTube
At first, she couldn’t comprehend what could have happened to him. “I ran to him like any mother would do crying, hugging him, [begging] what happened,” Payne said. Her son, Ayrian, then told her that her 25-year-old boyfriend, Wesley McCollum, hurt him badly.
KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2 / YouTube
According to Wesley, the boy needed to be taught a lesson because he opened a Christmas gift without their permission. As any mother would do, Bridgette immediately had her boyfriend arrested. She also charged him with child neglect and abuse.
KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2 / YouTube
As if the abuse itself wasn’t harsh enough, the effect that this situation had on Bridgette was even more severe as she was once also a victim of domestic violence. “I never EVER thought he would do this or I would of never been with him. Plain and simple,” she said.
KJRH -TV | Tulsa | Channel 2 / YouTube
After being together for 10 months, Wesley finally showed his true colors. Bridgette, as she strictly should, has lost all of the respect that she had for him. “For a grown man to punch a child over and over and slap him and beat him with a belt ALL over is no man at all. He is the lowest scum on earth,” she wrote.
Ayrian was successfully treated for his injuries and is now once again happily living with his mom. Despite his traumatizing experience, the family is now free of the abusive scumbag who belongs to the jail.
Child abuse is way too common, and many stories end in an even more significant heartbreak than this one. Please help us raise awareness by sharing this post and getting the message out!