Dad Accused of Using Stun Gun on Daughter's Friend Over Naked Photo

Authorities say the father became angry after the man sent his daughter a photo of his genitals.

KTLA News
12:10 AM PDT, June 4, 2010

TEMECULA, Calif. -- An angry father is accused of using a stun gun on a 23 year old man who sent his 17 year old daughter an explicit cell phone picture.

William Atwood Sr., 45, was charged Wednesday with multiple felonies in connection with the case.

Authorities say Atwood lured Justin Moore to his home, ordered him to strip down to his boxer shorts, and tied him up and tased him with a stun gun before turning him over to a sheriff's deputy.

Moore told authorities he sent a photo of his genitals to several friends, including Atwood's daughter, as a joke.

Atwood apparently didn't think the joke was funny when his daughter told him about the picture in January.

According to court records, Atwood called the Sheriff's Department saying that Moore sent pornography to a child.

Before detectives could investigate the claim, Atwood told deputies that Moore came to his home uninvited.

He admitted telling Moore to take off his clothes and says he bound his wrists and ankles with zip ties.

Deputies found Moore at Atwood's home naked, tied up and extremely frightened.

Moore tells a different story. He says that Atwood called him and asked him to come over to discuss the photo. When he arrived, Atwood was holding a shotgun, Moore told officials.

He says Atwood ordered him out of his car and fired a shot. Atwood pulled him off the ground by his feet, injuring his shoulder, according to Moore.

Atwood told Moore he had connections with the Pechanga tribe and was going to have him buried on the reservation, court records say.

Moore said he believed that Atwood was going to kill him.

A short time later, Atwood pulled out a handgun and a stun gun.

He shocked Moore on the shoulder for about 20 seconds and asked him how he liked it, court records say.

Moore said he was detained for about an hour before Atwood called the Sheriff's Department.

Investigators determined that Moore had received a call from Atwood about an hour before he called authorities and also found a text message Moore had sent to a friend on his way to Atwood's house, saying he was going to discuss the pictures.

"If I don't get back, let everyone know," he joked.

Investigators searched Atwood's home, seized zip ties, at least two stun guns and more than a dozen firearms.

The district attorney's office on Wednesday charged Atwood with making criminal threats, false imprisonment, assault with a stun gun, assault with a deadly weapon and other gun charges.

Prosecutors declined to charge Moore in connection with the photo for lack of evidence, said district attorney's spokesman John Hall.

From: http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-dad-uses-taser,0,2721598.story