Police: Rock Hill dad arrested after ‘whooping’ child who lied

A Rock Hill father was arrested after allegedly hitting his son in the face, causing a swollen eye and bloody lip.

Matthew Christopher Simpson, 32, was charged with cruelty to children Thursday after an anonymous neighbor reported the 9-year-old boy’s injuries, according to Rock Hill Police report.

Simpson told police the boy lied to him, so he “whooped his son” as punishment.

An officer noticed discoloration and swelling on the child’s right eye and a cut on the inside of his lip. The boy said his father “struck him with the back side of his hand,” the report states.

Because of the extent of the injuries, Simpson was arrested. The child was left in the care of his mother.

This story was originally published April 24, 2015 at 10:32 AM with the headline "Police: Rock Hill dad arrested after ‘whooping’ child who lied."