New details emerge in child abuse case against fired South MS officer
New details are emerging in the child abuse case against a Pascagoula police officer who was fired following his arrest by Mobile County sheriff’s deputies on a charge of child abuse.
Thomas Landon Horn, 38, of Moss Point, was arrested Friday after allegedly committing the crime last month, according to records filed in the case.
Horn is accused of using his police duty belt to beat a child under the age of 13, according to the record. The Sun Herald did not identify the victim’s age or sex to keep the identity of the alleged victim confidential.
Horn allegedly got angry at the child for playing with a toy the officer did not want the child to be playing with, according to the records and authorities investigating the case.
Pascagoula Police Chief Terry Scott announced Friday that the officer had been placed on administrative leave several days before Alabama authorities arrested him on the felony offense Friday.
The arrest came after the child underwent a forensic interview at the Child Advocacy Center of Alabama.
When Scott announced the officer’s firing, he said: “I am proud of the men and women in this department, and hearing this breaks my heart,” Scott said.
A felony child abuse charge in Alabama carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
