Man Found Guilty of Assault In Child Abuse Case

A Berkshire Superior Court jury found a Clarksburg man guilty on Thursday of assault and battery and two counts of endangering a child.

The Berkshire Eagle  reports Duane Griffiths, 35, was acquitted of six more serious assault charges.

Griffiths said he used physical discipline in order to correct misbehavior and to make sure the children under his care were well-behaved in public.

Assistant Berkshire District Attorney Megan Tesoniero, however, argued that Griffiths' actions went far beyond what is considered reasonable physical discipline.

She told jurors Wednesday during her closing argument that his methods included choking, punching and slapping two children, hitting them with a wooden spoon and spatula, and beating one with a belt hard enough to leave welts and bruises.

The incident occurred on Feb. 16, 2017.

In other alleged instances, the children didn't know why they were beaten by Griffiths.

Griffiths' sentencing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday.