Mother abuses child with belt, strangles, and kicks until teacher is informed

A Georgia mother is going to prison after her child revealed to an elementary school teacher about being beaten on their legs and choked, say prosecutors. The child was also repeatedly struck on the forehead with a belt.

"The teachers at the school are truly the heroes in this situation," stated Cherokee County District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway in a statement regarding Candice McClure's sentence to prison. 

"They identified the signs of abuse and provided a safe environment for the child to speak up," shared Treadaway.

McClure, 35, hailing from Lenox, received a sentence of 40 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of aggravated assault and child cruelty during a four-day trial, according to the DA's office. 

The office noted on Friday that McClure had been maltreating "the same child" for nearly a decade and was previously arrested in 2016 on child cruelty charges.

Her guilty verdict is linked to a report the child made to a teacher in 2023, followed by a Child Services investigation that ultimately revealed the abuse.

"A teacher at a Cherokee County elementary school reported concerns about child abuse involving a student in her class," mentioned the DA's office. 

"The student confided in the teacher that McClure had kicked and punched the child's legs and 'choked' the child with her hands. The teacher's report led the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) and Canton Police Department to initiate a child abuse investigation concerning McClure."

DFCS workers made an unexpected visit to McClure's home after initiating the investigation, where a DFCS employee took photographs of bruises on the child's leg and a "patterned injury on the child's forehead."

"The child was taken to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where medical staff documented significant bruising on the legs and a patterned forehead injury, consistent with being struck by a belt," explained the DA's office.

The child later took part in a forensic interview, offering additional details. "The family was new to Cherokee County, and we suspect the abuse had been occurring before their arrival," stated the DA's office.

According to McClure's indictment, as viewed by Law&Crime, she used her hands to strangle her child "by applying pressure to the neck and throat." It also indicates she "intentionally" caused "severe and excessive physical and mental pain" by choking the child and repeatedly hitting their legs.

During the trial, over a dozen witnesses gave testimony, including the victim, various family members, law enforcement, medical staff, child advocacy experts, DFCS personnel, and Cherokee County School District staff. 

Prosecutors presented 20 pieces of evidence, including a recorded forensic interview of the child, photographs of the injuries, and documentation from school staff that contributed to convicting McClure.

It took the jury just two and a half hours to deliver its verdict.

The child delivered a victim impact statement at McClure's sentencing last week, along with an adoptive parent, a victim advocate, and their service dog Parker "who provided comfort and assistance," according to the DA's office.

Treadaway described the child's ordeal and mistreatment as "heartbreaking" in her statement regarding McClure's sentence.