A Staten Island, New York father who beat his nine-year old son, burned his son’s two hands, stuffed him into the oven, then stripped him and threw him out until the boy’s mother came home, will appear before a judge this week and, according to reports, the son will ask the judge to be kind.
James Moss, who is 6 feet, 3 inches tall, 53 years old, and weighs 270 pounds, told the court he did it because he caught his son, Christopher, taking $20 from his wallet.
“In May, 2010, Moss reportedly flew into a rage when he thought that his son had stolen $20 out of his wallet,” reports Gothamist. “He then reportedly tore the boy’s clothes off, beat him across the back with a spatula, heated up two burners and put the boy’s hand across them “until his skin began to peel,” punched the boy and then forced him into the oven. According to reports when the boy wouldn’t stop crying Donovan then pulled him out and threw the naked child out the front door where he waited until his mother came home and took him to the hospital.
“According to the Daily News a pre-sentencing report says that Christopher Moss is likely to ask the judge to be kind. Which isn’t to say he will ever forget the incident. ‘Christopher, being a young child, is probably forgiving of his father and missing his family unit,’ the report says. ‘However, it is clear that the events of that night and the defendant’s actions towards Christopher will stay with Christopher for the rest of his life’.”
The Daily News offers this account:
“He took Christopher to the basement and ripped off his clothes. Moss pulled the boy into the kitchen and used a spatula to beat him across his back.
“The monster dad heated up two burners on the stove and held the defenseless boy’s hands on them until his skin began to peel. Prosecutors said Moss punched his son in the face and then forced him into the oven.
“I’m going to burn you alive!” he hollered, according to published reports.
“[District Attorney]Â Donovan said the boy screamed and begged to be let out of the oven. The dad threatened to turn it on, but eventually let him out and threw him, still naked, out the front door.
“Skin was falling off the boy’s burned hands, but Moss coldheartedly ignored his son’s pain, and never took him to a hospital, court papers say. Instead, Moss ordered Christopher to sit naked on the floor “like a dog,” the court papers charge.
“Christopher complied and sat naked until his mother came home and finally took him to a hospital. He was treated for second-and-third-degree burns, and cuts to his back and knees.
“In over 15 years as a district attorney and an assistant district attorney, this was one of the most shocking and sadistic cases of child abuse I have ever prosecuted,” said District Attorney Daniel Donovan.
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