A Cole County man was charged with abusing a boy under the age of 17 earlier this month.
According to court documents, Vincent Ross, 38, is believed to have pushed the child onto a bed, straddled the child and hit the bedroom wall above the child's head several times. He then proceeded to slap the child three or four times in the face and hit the child in the nose with either an open palm or fist resulting in bloodying the child's nose and leaving marks on the child's face.
The incident occurred in the 800 block of Route T in Elston.
The boy told authorities that this was not the first time Ross had hit him. He was removed from the residence for his safety.
Ross said he was only disciplining the boy by "popping" him in the mouth with the back of his hand. Ross has two previous convictions for domestic assault and second-degree burglary.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Ross was being held on $500,000 bond in the Cole County Jail.