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KINGSTON — Police in Kingston arrested a man they say intentionally burned a child with cigarettes and inflicted other injuries for more than a year.
Raheam Levon Patterson, 31, of Northampton Street, was arrested Friday on a warrant charging him with aggravated assault, simple assault and endangering the welfare of children. Patterson was arraigned by District Judge Joseph Spagnuolo of Plains Township and jailed without bail at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility.
According to the criminal complaint:
Police investigated a Child Line report alleging Patterson intentionally burned a 5-year-old boy on the neck with a lighter.
The child was questioned by a forensic interviewer at the Luzerne County Children’s Advocacy Center in Wilkes-Barre.
During the interview, the child claimed Patterson gave him a “boo-boo” with a lighter on his neck and arms because he was a bad kid and failed to perform work, the complaint says.
A medical examination of the child revealed numerous injuries in various stages of heaving over most of his body, including his neck, torso, back, both arms, buttocks and legs.
A witness told police Patterson complained about a caseworker from Luzerne County Children and Youth Services wanting to take temporary custody of the child until the incident could be investigated.
Patterson allegedly told the witness he lit a cigarette and accidentally burned the child when he lowered his arm with the cigarette in his hand.
The witness took the child to a medical office.
Police obtained the child’s medical report indicating the evaluation showed the boy had injuries consistent with physical abuse and had injuries in different stages of healing, including scabs and scars on his chest, torso, buttocks, arms and legs, the complaint says.
Several injuries were consistent with the boy being pinched.
Kingston Police Detective Stephen Gibson investigated.