Athens man arrested for beating teen he caught showering with stepdaughter

Athens-Clarke County police said they arrested a man on Tuesday for assaulting a teen who he caught showering with his stepdaughter.

Police charged Clinton Antonio Ward, 49, with battery, and first- and third-degree cruelty to children for the assault at the man's home on Creekstone Drive.

Ward's arrest came after his own 911 call to report that teens were in his apartment, according to police.

When officers arrived they spoke with Ward's 16-year-old stepdaughter, who said Ward was not home when she and her boyfriend, also 16, went into the shower, police said.

When the teens got out of the shower they found Ward sitting on a couch in the living room, at which time he pushed aside his stepdaughter and shoved her naked boyfriend into a wall, where he began punching him in the face and chest, according to police.

Ward gave a similar story, saying that when he got home he heard his stepdaughter in the bathroom talking and then heard a male's voice, but thought the teen might be speaking to someone on speaker phone, police said.

He told officers he waited in the living room and grabbed the teen when he emerged from the bathroom, telling him to gather his belongings and get out, police said. Ward also admitted to punching the teen.

The boyfriend's mother was contacted and told officers she wanted charges brought against Ward, police said.

Police said that in addition to battery, Ward was charged with first-degree cruelty to children for "maliciously causing a child under the age of 18 cruel, excessive or mental pain." The lesser cruelty charge was for allowing his stepdaughter to witness the assault, according to police.

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