Spanking dad acquitted of abuse charges

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 6 (UPI) -- The jury in the case of a San Francisco man who spanked his 11-year-old son with a belt has acquitted the man on child abuse charges.

The jury Tuesday found 32-year-old Allan Rivera not guilty of misdemeanor child abuse and battery after less than 3 hours of deliberation, said Tamara Barak Aparton, spokeswoman for Public Defender Jeff Adachi.

"The law states that a parent may use physical discipline as a form of correction as long as it does not cause lasting injury or seriously endanger the child's health," Aparton told the San Francisco Examiner.

Police arrested Rivera March 15 when his ex-wife called to report bruising on the boy's body. The boy told police he was spanked with the belt for misbehaving in church, the newspaper reported.