Anger classes ordered in case where child was burned by lighter

By Kandra Wells
Staff Writer

April 17, 2009 11:58 am

— A Savanna man has been ordered to complete anger management and parenting classes after pleading no contest to charges he burned a child’s hand with a lighter.
William Robert Snyder, 27, entered the plea Tuesday in Pittsburg County District Court and judgment and sentencing were deferred for five years. He is accused of holding a hot lighter to the hand of his 9-year-old son last summer.
A resulting scar on the top of the boy’s hand was noticed by his teacher when he went back to school in August, according to an affidavit filed in the case by Krebs police officer Chuck Sutterfield.
The boy told the teacher what happened, and she called the state Department of Human Services, which contacted police.
The child’s teacher, mother, brother, the mother’s boyfriend and Snyder were all interviewed by Sutterfield, according to his affidavit. They told the officer that Snyder was showing the boy and his brother how Snyder could pass his hand through the flame of the lighter without burning it.
At one point, the affidavit alleges Snyder grabbed the child’s hand and burned it with the hot lighter.
The mother’s boyfriend, John Daniels, was watching the boy that day along with Snyder, their mother reported. Daniels told police he heard the child screaming but had not seen what had happened.
A court record from Tuesday’s hearing for Snyder indicates completion of anger management and parenting classes is part of a plea bargain agreement in the case. The News-Capital was unable to reach District Attorney Jim Bob Miller or Snyder by presstime today.
Contact Kandra Wells at kwells@mcalesternews.com.