Man accused of beating girlfriend's child for opening Christmas present early

OKMULGEE, Oklahoma -- A man is behind bars after police say he beat his girlfriend's 5-year-old because the little boy opened a Christmas present early.

The child's mother says her boyfriend was watching her children while she was Christmas shopping Saturday. She came home to something she never thought she would see.

She saw bruises to her five-year-old son's back and arms, welts on his forehead, and an apparent hand print on his cheek.

In a Facebook post, the mother wrote, "Words cannot explain seeing your baby like this and having no clue what happened. I ran to him like any mother would do crying, hugging him, begging what happened. 'Wesley hurt me bad mama,' is all he kept saying."

The woman tells KJRH her boyfriend 25-year-old Wesley McCollum told her he was trying to teach the boy a lesson after McCollum says the five-year-old took a present from under the Christmas tree and opened it.

Police were called to the home just after 10 p.m. The child was taken to a hospital. Police arrested McCollum on complaints of child abuse and child neglect.

The mother says she filed a protective order against McCollum Monday morning.

The police report is now on its way to the district attorney's office to see if charges will be filed.