Man Avoids Prison for Abusing 6-Year-Old Stepson with Dog Collar

Plea Deal for Child Abuse Case

• 👨‍⚖️ Zachary Perez, 42, pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse for beating his 6-year-old stepson and yanking him by a dog collar.
• ⛓️ The plea deal results in two years of community control with a GPS monitor and 10 years of probation, avoiding prison time.
• 💔 The judge expressed that community control and probation would not have been his first choice for sentencing, but accepted the plea due to victim advocate support.

Details of the Abuse

• 📹 Surveillance video captured Perez leading the child by a dog collar, punching him repeatedly, and hitting him with a tree branch.
• 🩹 The child sustained a rash on his neck from the dog collar.
• ⚠️ Text messages and petitions documented Perez making death threats and the state referring to him as a "ticking time bomb."

Sentencing Conditions and Requirements

• 🚫 Perez is prohibited from being near the victim and his mother, and from being in any setting where children are present.
• 🧑‍⚕️ He is ordered to undergo anger management, substance abuse evaluation, and mental health evaluation, with necessary treatment.
• 💸 Perez must pay for therapy for the six-year-old victim.
• ⚖️ Had he been convicted at trial, Perez could have faced between 4 and 30 years in prison.