Texas Mom Uses Taser On 5-Year-Old Son, Charged With Abuse

UPDATE: Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 4:13 p.m. EDT: Whitney White's attorney, Brian E. Warren, issued a statement of his client's conviction status Tuesday to International Business Times. Warren said, "Ms. White is not being charged for using a Taser on her son. The indictment is public record and is filed with the district clerk."

Original story:

A Houston woman was charged with felony child abuse Monday after she used a Taser on her 5-year-old son, according to Houston ABC affiliate KTRK. The woman used the weapon to discipline her son, now 6, after he got in trouble at school and refused to focus on his studies.

Whitney White, 27, did not immediately enter a plea after she allegedly caused bodily harm to her son in November 2016. She's allegedly responsible for two incidents of abuse following her son's behavior at school. White used a Taser because she claimed that she couldn't determine a better punishment for her son's performance at school.

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According to the Houston Patch, the child was left with "welts on his face and arm." She also allegedly slapped him and used a belt on him after he neglected to study. The boy informed the Houston Police Department (HDP) that on a scale from zero to 10, the pain was a 10.

According to court documents obtained by NBC affiliate KPRC, the boy reportedly said, "I was five years old when the defendant Tased me on my arm because I got in trouble at school. From zero to 10, it hurt 10."

The boy also told officers from HPD's Child Abuse Unit July 23 there was a history of physical abuse as a form of discipline, which included previous use of a Taser for discipline, according to KTRK.

White admited to investigators she physically abused her child, confirming her son's accusations to the HPD. However, she said she did it out of frustration and wanted him to excel in school.

According to KPRC, she discussed her reasoning for using a Taser to discipline her son. White said, "My anger management class told me not to Tase him, but we didn't go into what else to do."

According to KTRK, she added, "When I tried to talk with him about it, he didn't want to discuss it, and he was running away from me. I picked it up and Tased him with it."

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White provided details to the HPD of other ways she has harmed her eldest child, according to the Houston Chronicle. White said, "First I smacked him with my hand and that's how he got the bruise on his face. The mark on his arm that broke the skin was caused by a belt."

White's 6-year-old son and his 2-week-old sibling have been placed under temporary custody through Child Protective Services (CPS) as they reside with a relative following the incident. White is allowed to see her infant in a supervised setting to breastfeed it.

White was released on a $5,000 bond and is expected to make an additional appearance at the Harris County court in September.

According to a study from the University of Texas, 274,448 cases of alleged child abuse were reported in 2015 statewide. More than 40,000 of the cases were confirmed as child abuse and/or neglect, which resulted in 17,151 children being removed from the comfort of their homes.

A representative for the Houston Police Department did not immediately return International Business Times' request for comment.

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