Florida man arrested for pouring boiling water on boy, 3, a year after he was accused of putting a young girl in an oven
A Florida man who was previously accused of burning a young child in 2018 has been arrested, this time on allegations that he poured boiling water on another child, a three-year-old boy.
Terry May, 47, of Deltona, was taken into custody this past Thursday, October 10, after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest on a charge of child abuse causing great bodily harm, according to a press release by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
The charges stemmed from an incident on September 27, when a VCSO deputy responded to a child abuse call at the victim's daycare center. The instructors at the center had noticed a burn mark on the child's back and reported it to the authorities, who subsequently opened an investigation into the issue.
Following their investigation, it was determined that May had poured boiling water on the child as punishment after he had accidentally urinated on the floor. An affidavit was then sent to a judge, who subsequently signed the warrant for his arrest.
Deputies said the 47-year-old was previously arrested in 2018 after the Florida Department of Children and Families called deputies about a case of child abuse concerning a three-year-old girl.
At the time, the investigators found that the young girl had extensive injuries, including cuts, swelling and contusions on her head, a six-inch scar on her back, and lacerations to her feet, hands, and legs. She also had burn injuries to her ears, which medical examiners determined were likely caused after May placed her in an oven.
When questioned by an investigator from the DCF, the child revealed that he also frequently hit her with a belt, with VCSO Sheriff Mike Chitwood stating that "it just boggles my mind that you would torment and beat and place a kid in the oven" and calling him the "scumbag of the week."
Surprisingly, May's family insisted that he was innocent and tried to shift blame to the young girl's mother, with his mother Louisa Douglas saying, "He loves children. He never beat any children or put them in no oven. I don't know why she told that little girl to tell that lie."
He similarly claimed that his ex-girlfriend made them up because he wouldn't pay child support. That case was ultimately not prosecuted and a “no information” was filed in August 2018.
May is currently being held on a bond of $250,000 on his most recent charges. His family has not offered any comment about this arrest.