Man Admits Excessive Force In Disciplining Granddaughter
MASSENA - A Massena man faces potential jail time after admitting he used excessive corporal punishment to discipline a two-year-old granddaughter following an apparent potty training accident.
Scott E. Duciaume, 42, of 6 Bucktown Road Extension, Massena, pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. Massena Town Justice Gerald P. Sharlow directed the probation department to conduct a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 27. The St. Lawrence County District Attorney's Office is recommending Duciaume be sentenced to a period of incarceration.
Meanwhile, Duciaume's paramour, Tracey L. Buckshot, also 42 of 6 Bucktown Road Extenson, also pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. She will also be sentenced on Oct. 27 following the completion of a pre-sentence investigation. The District Attorney's Office has recommended she be sentenced to a period of incarceration.
The couple were charged with using excessive corporal punishment on a two-year-old granddaughter when spanking her on the buttocks and leaving bruises that were still available days after an incident that reportedly occurred in early April. The couple were caring for three children, the oldest was 4 at the time, belonging to Matthew Buckshot and his paramour.
Court documents indicate one of the toddler's siblings had told her mother that Mr. Duciaume had struck the child in the buttocks with a stick following a potty training accident. A physician examining the toddler at the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Health Center reportedly indicated the bruises on the two-year-old's buttocks, which he indicated were more than a few days old at the time of his examination, were consistent with being struck by a wire hanger.
In other recent court action before Judge Sharlow:
* Corey B. Benedict, 23, of 1291 state Route 37, Hogansburg, also listing a Tollgate Road, Cornwall, Ont., address, was fined $300 and a $260 surcharge after a driving while intoxicated count was reduced to driving while ability impaired. His operating privileges were suspended for 90 days, and he was placed under a one-year conditional discharge.
He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent after he was stopped by police for allegedly driving on the shoulder at 1:55 a.m. May 6 on state Route 37.
* Tasonteha Skidders, 22, of 35 Skidders Road, Akwesasne, was fined $300 and a $260 surcharge after having a driving while intoxicated count reduced to driving while ability impaired. He was placed under a one-year conditional discharge and had his operating privileges suspended for 90 days.
Skidders had been pulled in for additional questioning after agents at the U.S. port of entry said he was unable to answer questions when he was crossing into the United States at 6:02 a.m. Sept. 19, 2009. He reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent.
* Brian A. Jacobs, 22, of 3 John Oakes Lane, Hogansburg, pleaded guilty after a petit larceny count was reduced to attempted petit larceny. The court ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for Oct. 27.
Jacobs reportedly purchased an $80 pair of jeans on April 16 at P City and then grabbed two shirts, valued at $54.95, placed them in his bag and exited the store without paying for the additional two items.
