Missouri police charged a father after he allegedly told his six-year-old daughter to repeatedly assault another girl on a school bus last week.
The suspect in the case was identified as 36-year-old Maurice Fox, who is facing charges of felony harassment and two misdemeanors, assault and trespass of a school bus. In a statement, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith described the allegations as preliminary.
Father Charged After Telling Daughter To Punch Another Student
Additionally, Ferguson Police Chief Troy Doyle said that while the father was not in custody and had avoided talking with detectives, he started an online fundraiser. He is now seeking donations for his legal defense in the case.
Doyle said that he cannot "crowdsource accountability," adding that they are urging the man to contact the Ferguson Police Department or talk to investigators to give his side of the story. Fox reportedly said that he felt like he had no other choice as a parent. He said his only intention was to protect his daughter and empower her, according to NBC News.
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Now, the fundraiser that the father started seems to have been taken down, and a spokesperson for GoFundMe said that the platform's terms of service prohibit people who are charged with violent crimes from raising money for their legal defense.
These types of campaigns are quickly removed from the platform, and the donations that were given to them are refunded. There are currently no records of an attorney being listed to speak on Fox' behalf.
Trying To Contact the Parent
The incident apparently occurred on Thursday in the 100 block of Frost Drive on Thursday, court documents showed. Ferguson Police said that the father went on the school bus with his daughter, and when he was told to get off by the driver, he reportedly pushed them away and continued to walk down the bus aisle, KSDK reported.
The dad then pointed out a seven-year-old girl who was seated on the bus and told her daughter, "Do what I told you to do." The six-year-old girl then punched the other student in the head repeatedly.
When his daughter stopped punching the other girl, the father told her, "Again," and she conducted the assault again. The dad could then be heard saying, "I want her crying. Again."
Doyle called the entire incident "disturbing" and "completely unacceptable," adding that they have made several attempts to contact the defendant, who has avoided all efforts to speak with detectives, as per KGNS.
