Three adults have been arrested in Atlanta, Georgia for allegedly assaulting a 12-year-old boy and shaving the word “gay” into his scalp.
NBC News reports that 19-year-old Lorkeyla Jamia Spencer, 35-year-old Brittney Monique Mills, and 18-year-old Jordan Jarrode Richards-Nwankwo have been charged with cruelty to children after footage of their cruelty was shared online. Spencer and Mills remain in Fulton County Jail, while Richards-Nwankwo posted a $50,000 bond and has since been released.
The video was taken in June, and showed the three forcefully shaving the word “Gay” into his scalp. “You think I cut this in your head for no reason?” a man can be heard saying in the clip, later slapping him on the side of his head. A woman can be heard telling viewers they were going to beat the child, and at one point the boy is grabbed by the neck.
The video was first reported to the Atlanta Police Department later in June, leading to a Special Victims Unit investigation. The child, who has not been named because he’s a minor, has since been removed from his home due to safety concerns.
"The behavior in this social media post was difficult to watch and is absolutely unacceptable," said the Atlanta police department in a statement.
“It was tough to watch,” added Atlanta Police Sgt. John Chafee. “Investigators were made aware of video posted on social media that depicted what appeared to be a young male who was being abused and it appeared he was being abused because of his sexual orientation," Chafee said. "We're pleased with the feedback that we got from the community assisting with this.”
