Robert J. Smith, 30, was charged on Aug. 31 with the felony. If convicted, Smith faces up to a year in the county jail, life in prison and up to a $5,000 fine, according to court records.
On Aug. 27 Sequoyah County Sheriff's Deputy Cindy Smith received a report from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services about allegations of child abuse of a five-year old girl in Vian, according to court records.
According to court records, in an interview with Smith, the girl told police about a spanking she received from Smith on the previous day, Aug. 26.
The girl lifted the right leg of the shorts she was wearing to reveal several bruises on her thigh, court records indicated.
Smith reported seeing several bruises on the girl's thigh, including one that was three inches long and another that was two inches long.
When asked what caused bruising, the girl said Smith had spanked her with a belt.
During a police interview, Smith, who is identified as the girl's step-father, allegedly admitted to spanking the girl with a belt.
When asked why he spanked his children, he allegedly said, "They tried to burn the house down."
Smith said on the evening of Aug. 26, all of the children, varying in ages from one to six, had been in a bedroom playing for about three hours.
One of the younger children reportedly said there was something burning in the bedroom. Smith found that the alleged victim and her brother had placed a plastic sack over an exposed light bulb. He allegedly said the incident scared him and he lost his temper, striking the girl with a belt a total of five times.
The girl's mother told police that she witnessed the spanking and could tell by Smith's voice that he was angry and told him to stop, which he did.
The girl's mother told police that she was not aware of any bruising from the spanking.
