John R. Muffley Jr., 35, of 215 Brown St., Tamaqua, and formerly of Lehighton, was arraigned Wednesday on child abuse related charges. Muffley is accused of striking his four year old stepson hard enough to cause significant bruising to the boy’s lower back, buttocks and left leg on Sept. 25.

Tamaqua Police were dispatched to 215 Brown St. at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 25 after someone reported there was an active domestic incident taking place.Officers spoke with Muffley, who said he had been in a heated telephone exchange with an ex-girlfriend.On Sept. 28, officers were contacted by Mrs. Muffley’s former boyfriend, the father of the 4-year-old victim. The father said he picked up his son on Sept. 25 and discovered extensive bruising on the preschooler’s backside. He contacted the child’s mother, Mrs. Muffley, and they took the child to the emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital-Miner’s Campus in Coaldale.The child told emergency personnel he had been struck, by his stepfather, for being bad. The nursing notes indicate the bruising was about 10 hours old.The father contacted police, providing them with photos of the injured tot. Schuylkill County Children and Youth were contacted and spoke with the child, who said “John” hit him, with his hand.Police spoke with Muffley on Sept. 29. He denied striking the boy, suggesting the injuries were caused when several children were playing in the backyard, “hitting each other with a broom stick, a plastic rake and a plastic shovel.”Officers then spoke with the person who made the phone call on Sept. 25, reporting the domestic incident.That witness said there was screaming and yelling coming from an open window on the second floor of the home at 215 Brown St. The witness heard Muffley’s voice, yelling at someone to “knock it off.” Then, there was the sound of a child whimpering and Muffley yelling “Did that hurt? You bet it did.” The witness said Muffley then said “Does this hurt?” and the witness heard three thumping noises. When a child was heard screaming and sobbing, the witness called the Schuylkill County Communications Center.The victim’s medical records, injury photos and photos of the objects Muffley claimed the children were using to hit each other were sent to Dr. Kathryn R. Crowell, Child Protection Team Physician at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. After examining each of the items, Dr. Crowell determined the child’s injuries were consistent with being struck by a hand.Muffley was arraigned before District Judge Stephen Bayer on charges of aggravated assault on a child, simple assault and harassment. Bail was set at $10,000 percentage.