Man accused of burning child pleads guilty

A man accused of burning a child with a lighter pleaded guilty during a change of plea hearing Monday in state District Court in Havre.

Patrick R. Schroeder, born in 1991, of Havre, was charged with a felony count of assault with a weapon, or, in the alternative, felony counts of assault on a minor and assault with a weapon or, in the alternative, a felony count of assault on a minor in March.

He pleaded guilty Monday to the charge of assault on a minor before District Judge Daniel Boucher.

A plea agreement was filed April 20.

During the hearing, Boucher set a sentencing hearing for July 1 at 8:30 a.m. at the Hill County Courthouse.

According to court documents, Child Protection Services brought a 5-year-old boy to the Havre Police Department Jan. 6 after receiving reports that a child may have been abused by the mother's boyfriend.

The child reportedly had a small laceration surrounded by bruising on his upper right eyelid and a burn mark on the lower portion of his right shoulder.

Schroeder's girlfriend told authorities that the boy was starting fires and that she and Schroeder thought that burning the boy would show him "that lighting fires was bad."

The court documents go on to say that when questioned by authorities, Schroeder said the bruising on the boy's eye was an accident, and that it was caused by the boy struggling as Schroeder was spanking him with a belt.

Schroeder also reportedly said that the lighter was used for "discipline purposes."