A Commerce man is out of jail on bond after being arrested for allegedly assaulting his daughter after a wrestling match in Hall County.
Deputies arrested 38-year-old Steven Mathue Slaton on Jan. 20 following the incident at Cherokee Bluff Middle School in Flowery Branch. They charged him with felony first-degree child cruelty.
The preliminary investigation revealed Slaton became angry with his daughter for losing the match. According to the arrest warrant, Slaton punched the girl in the back, slapped her face, and then picked her up by her ears, lifting the girl over his head. The child was not physically injured, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson says the victim is not a student in the Hall County School District. She and her family had traveled to Hall County for the private youth wrestling event, which was not sponsored by the school district.
Slaton was released from jail on Jan. 22 after posting an $11,200 bond.
