TEXARKANA, Texas -- A Texarkana man has been arrested for allegedly striking a 7-year-old girl with an extension cord.
Anthony Scott White, 37, came to the attention of local police Feb. 13 after the mother of his children expressed concern to officers based on text messages she'd received from him, according to a probable cause affidavit. White allegedly accused the woman of breaking into his residence and having the children drug him.
Officers went to White's residence in the 1900 block of W. 9th Street to perform a welfare check Feb. 13 on three children, ages 7, 6 and 5.
"I attempted to speak with the children but White would not allow me to be alone with them. He kept entering the room. I noticed that when White exited the room the children would relax and once White would return the children would become tense and scared," according to police on the scene.
White allegedly told officers that he filed a police report the day before accusing the children's mother of breaking into his home and forcing the children to drug him. The officer responding Feb. 13 pulled up the prior report that stated that White showed him videos of the children telling White they let their mother in the house and then "sprayed" him with something.
White was allegedly holding a belt and using profane language in the video. When interviewed by officers at White's house Feb. 13, the children allegedly denied letting their mother inside or "spraying" anything on White.
Officers made the decision to remove the children from White's care Feb. 13. As the 7-year-old removed her jacket after getting in a car, large welts were observed on her arms. The girl allegedly reported that White caused the injuries that morning by "whooping" her with an extension cord.
White was arrested on a charge of injury to a child that day. He is currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $75,000. If convicted, he faces two to 10 years in prison.