Dad was only joking when he posted Facebook photo of his bound and gagged toddler, family says

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CHICAGO — A Chicago father who allegedly posted a
Facebook photo of his 22-month-old daughter bound and gagged was just
joking around and the whole case has been “blown out of proportion” by
the Internet, his attorney and family said Wednesday.

Andre Curry, 21 — who has no criminal background —
was charged with aggravated domestic battery, a felony, after turning
himself in to police on Tuesday.

A woman who answered the phone at the family home
Wednesday and identified herself as Curry’s grandmother said he loves
his daughter and would never do anything to harm her.

“He’s so playful, always laughing,” said the woman,
who would not give her name. “Everyone who knows him saw the photo and
laughed too. … He was only joking.”

She also said he knows what he did was a mistake and
“feels awful,” especially now that the photo has gone viral on the
Internet.

The photo shows the toddler bound and gagged with
blue painter’s tape. Across the top of the photo are the words: “This is
wut happens wen my baby hits me back” and then a smiley face, according
to Assistant State’s Attorney Erin Antonietti.

Curry’s attorney, Anand Sundaran, said his client was
just joking around and that the child was never harmed or in danger.
“Unfortunately due to the Internet, this case has been blown out of
proportion,” Sundaran said.

He asked the judge to release Curry on electronic monitoring, but she denied the request.

Instead, Judge Laura Sullivan set bond Wednesday at
$100,000 and ordered Curry to have no contact with his daughter or any
other children and barred him from using the Internet while his case was
pending.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family
Services had already intervened and placed the girl with her mother and
Curry was granted supervised visitation, he said.

Chicago Police said they began investigating Dec. 14
after someone brought the photo to their attention. DCFS also said it
was investigating the incident and that the agency had no prior contact
with the family.

Curry works at an Applebee’s restaurant and graduated
from Chicago Vocational High School in 2007, according to records. He
appeared in court in a white hooded sweatshirt and dark pants and did
not address the judge.

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©2011 the Chicago Tribune

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