A 29-year-old man from Florida has been charged with felony child abuse after allegedly attempting to circumcise a toddler he was babysitting. Timothoes Powell was arrested on Monday in connection to the incident which took place on October 21. The Holly Hill Police Department reported that the crime occurred in Volusia County, located about three miles north of Daytona Beach. Detectives were made aware of the child’s injuries by a state Department of Children and Families investigator on the same day. Powell remains in jail on a $100,000 bond, according to online records. His last known address is in Ruther Glen, Virginia.
According to Powell’s arrest report, a nurse from the Department of Children and Families was notified by a local hospital about the 2-year-old boy’s treatment for a cut to his penis on October 17. The injury caused bleeding, leading officials to suspect foul play. Surveillance footage showed Powell changing the child’s diaper, and he initially claimed that he found a piece of glass in it, which he believed cut the child. However, when confronted about the child’s injury, Powell admitted to losing his temper and pulling down on the child with force, causing harm. A nurse and doctor from the Department of Children and Families stated that the cut was too clean and precise to be accidental, suggesting that it appeared to be an attempted circumcision. Holly Hill police investigators confirmed that a doctor agreed with this assessment.
Court records from Volusia County show that Powell is currently represented by the public defender’s office and has not yet entered a plea in the case. His arraignment is scheduled for November 21. The Daytona Beach News-Journal originally reported this story.
