A Longs dad has been accused of giving son black eye over Christmas holiday

A man has been arrested after he was accused of giving his son a black eye over the Christmas holiday, hitting him in his stomach and forcing him to do exercises, according to a police report.

Ronald Hightower, of Longs, has been charged with unlawful conduct towards a child, according to online booking records.

The 31-year-old was arrested after the principal at Whittemore Park Middle School in Conway filed a complaint, detailing a parent who had brought in photos of her son, who had a black eye, according to a police report.

It states the mother was hoping to prevent her son’s dad from picking him from school because of the alleged abuse.

Officers contacted Hightower, who agreed to meet with officers at apartment complex Inlet Point Villas the next day. He told them his son had gotten the black eye from falling off his bed, according to the report.

But the mom told police her son had informed her Hightower had been disciplining him with a belt and hit him in the stomach and eye when he tried to block the belt. Thus, giving him a bruise over the Christmas holiday.

The middle school child told officers Hightower told him to do pushups or v-positions when he sat down in his room after he finished sweeping the kitchen and taking out the trash, which his dad asked him to do, the report states.

But he couldn’t do them and his dad threatened to beat him, if he fell again. Once he fell, his dad tried whooping him before punching him in the face, which caused him to fall to the ground.

His dad proceeded to hit him in the stomach and whoop him. He then made him stick his arms out, while standing in the corner and carry 1 pound weights.

That’s when his dad punched him because he couldn’t hold them up, according to the report.

The incident happened sometime between Dec. 22-23. A report about the alleged abuse wasn’t made until Jan. 4.

Hightower was booked into J. Reuben Long Detention Center on Jan. 10 and released the following day. The North Myrtle Beach Police Department arrested him.

His bail was set at $2,500.