Sylva man charged with child abuse after incident captured during online class

SYLVA, N.C. (WLOS) — A Sylva man is facing two misdemeanor charges after he was captured on camera during an elementary school online class.

Authorities say on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020, an investigation was launched when authorities were notified that a child was assaulted during an online class for an elementary school in Jackson County. A participant in this class made a recording of the assault. The recording was turned over to law enforcement.

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The short video of the incident shows the child in her home, seated in front of the computer during class.

An adult male then becomes visible in the video and is seen wrapping his arm around the child’s jawline area and squeezing tightly. After a few seconds, the child is released from the hold and immediately begins visibly crying. The child is then forcefully struck in the head. The video ends at that point.

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Sylva Police Officers shared the video clip with the District Attorney’s Office. After consultation with the District Attorney about the case, Sylva Police Department charged Michael Bruce Huffman, 41, with misdemeanor assault on a female and misdemeanor child abuse.

He was given a $2,500 unsecured bond, which means he was immediately released from custody at the Magistrate's office. Mr. Huffman is scheduled to appear in Jackson County District Court on September 1, 2020.

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