Jefferson City man charged with child abuse

A Jefferson City man has been charged with child abuse for an incident that occurred Tuesday.

William Howard, 40, allegedly assaulted a 12-year-old child by hitting the child in the chest, kicked the child’s legs and spanking the child with a belt after finding that the child had gotten into trouble at school, according to a Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement.

The child was examined by a physician, who verified the bruises on the child’s body were consistent with abuse.

The incident occurred in the 2200 block of Weathered Rock Road.

Court records show Howard has multiple convictions for possession of a controlled substance.