Inset: Andre Brown Jr. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Polk County criminal courthouse (Google Maps).
A 33-year-old man in Florida is accused of brutally beating a 5-year-old boy because he believed the child was homosexual, allegedly telling deputies he was trying to “beat the gay out of him” during a violent attack.
Andre Brown Jr. was taken into custody over the weekend and charged with one count of aggravated child abuse — a life felony enhanced as a hate crime — as well as one count of resisting arrest, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began when a 9-year-old girl in Brown’s care contacted her mother to report that the 5-year-old was being abused, later sending a text message that read, “I’m scared, he’s whooping him so hard, I’m scared.”
During interviews with investigators, the children described a pattern of escalating violence. Deputies said Brown became angry with the 5-year-old boy “for being gay” and responded by “slamming him on the ground multiple times.” He then allegedly turned his anger on the other two children in the home, striking all three with a belt over what authorities described as a prior incident.
When deputies arrived, they allegedly found visible injuries on all three children. The 5-year-old victim suffered the most severe harm, with marks and bruising covering his legs, arms, back, and stomach, along with a fractured right wrist and a contusion on his forehead, police said, adding that the other children also had bruising on their arms and legs.
According to the sheriff’s office, the youngest victim appeared terrified during his interview and was reluctant to speak further, telling investigators he was “afraid of Brown.”
Authorities said Brown admitted to targeting the child because of his sexual orientation.
“Brown told deputies that he decided to whoop the victim because the victim was gay,” the release states. “He advised he would ‘beat the gay out of him if possible, but since it wasn’t possible he would beat him more.'”
Investigators determined the attack met the criteria for a hate crime, elevating the severity of the charge.
“Due to Brown maliciously beating the child and causing a fracture to his right wrist for the belief of being gay, this crime is classified as a hate crime, and has been enhanced one degree,” the release said.
When deputies attempted to take Brown into custody, he allegedly resisted, pulling away and becoming increasingly agitated. Authorities said he continued yelling slurs even after being placed in handcuffs.
“This was a brutal and hateful attack on a defenseless child. There is absolutely no excuse for it,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. “We will make sure justice is served and these children get the safety and support they deserve.”
Officials also noted Brown has an extensive criminal history, including prior convictions and arrests for violent offenses such as aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, kidnapping with intent to commit a felony, home invasion robbery with a firearm, and domestic battery by strangulation, among numerous other charges.
Brown is currently being held in the Polk County Jail. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear in court.
