TOWN OF BELMONT — A Lafayette County man faces a felony child abuse charge after an apparent alcohol- and delusion-fueled attack on a young boy, according to court records.

Clifford Earl Powell, 56, Belmont, signed a $5,000 signature bond in the case, with conditions that he not drink or go into bars or liquor stores and have no contact with anyone younger than 18 except for incidental contact as part of his employment.

The case stems from an arrest in the early morning hours of Sept. 25 at Powell’s residence at the Evergreen Village Mobile Home Park, 30972 County XX, Town of Belmont.

According to the criminal complaint, filed Sept. 29 in Lafayette County Circuit Court, police responded to a 911 call from Powell that the 6-year-old boy he was babysitting was gone, potentially abducted by aliens, and “in (his) place was an Asian man.”

Police found evidence that Powell grabbed the boy by his shoulders and “slammed” his face into a bed frame. The boy had bruising on his shoulders and collarbone and abrasions on his forehead that matched the shape of the bed frame. He told police Powell “beat (him) up” but wouldn’t elaborate. 

The boy “shut his eyes and clenched his jaw” and “would not respond to any further questioning as he was upset,” an officer wrote in a report. The officer noted the boy is a ward of the state after being physically abused by his father and had been left with Powell by a relative who had to work.

The relative told police the boy had previously spent time with Powell and liked him. She said Powell has post-traumatic stress disorder from abuse he suffered as a child and “has very strong feelings against child abuse.” He had struggled with alcoholism and mental health issues but she thought he had been sober for a couple of years.

Powell blew a .315% blood-alcohol concentration in a breathalyzer test, nearly four times the legal limit for driving. Police found a mostly empty bottle of tequila in the freezer. When police asked Powell why he was drinking while babysitting, Powell said he had worked many days in a row and wanted to drink on his day off.

He denied causing the boy’s physical injuries. A doctor evaluating the boy’s injuries said his abrasions to the face “appear fresh and potentially consistent with being slapped.”

Wisconsin state court records show no prior criminal history for Powell. He is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance Nov. 2.