A Derry man is charged with hitting and strangling a 10-year-old child, according to state police.
Administrators at Grandview Elementary School in the Derry Area School District contacted law enforcement Thursday when they noticed the child was “exhibiting indicators of suspected child abuse,” police said.
Investigators determined that Christopher Hilty, 32, beat the child the night prior, according to police.
Hilty is charged with strangulation, simple assault and harassment. He is in Westmoreland County Prison on $150,000 cash bail.
Billie Jo Hilty denied that her husband abused their child. She said Christopher Hilty disciplined the boy by spanking him on the buttocks.
“He did not choke or strangle the child,” she told the Tribune-Review. “The mark on his neck came from rough housing. I know what happened. I was here.”
A preliminary hearing before District Judge Chris Flanigan is scheduled for Sept. 25.
