23-05-2025
Marietta Youth Detention Center assistant director punched, choked 14-year-old girl, police say
A former Marietta Youth Detention Center employee is charged with child cruelty.
Police say the victim is a 14-year-old girl who was in custody at the youth detention center.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell reported three witnesses listed in the arrest warrant allegedly saw the former assistant director, Vanderia Britton, punch and choke the girl at the facility.
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Police say he also hit the victim with a portable radio.
Now, Britton is in the Cobb County Jail, less than one mile away from where he worked, and charged with cruelty to children, a felony.
It's unclear what led up to the alleged attack, but court documents reveal how violent police say it was.
Investigators say he punched the girl in the face before he placed his hands around her neck, choking her until she was on the floor.
Investigators say the victim's injuries required stitches to her face. According to the arrest warrant, the incident happened in April.
Britton was arrested earlier this week. He is being held without bond.
The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice said he resigned from his position while he was under investigation, and his behavior represents a clear violation of his oath of office.
'The Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice maintains a zero-tolerance policy for actions like those exhibited by Britton, and we are committed to operating safe and secure facilities,' the agency said in a statement.
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