Polk County Man Arrested for Cruelty to Children After Forcing Kids to Watch Abuse

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) arrested William Leviticus Self, 37, of Cedartown, Georgia, on Sunday, December 15, 2024, charging him with three counts of Cruelty to Children.

The investigation began on February 14, 2024, when the Polk County Police Department requested the GBI’s assistance in a child cruelty case. According to investigators, Self abused a family pet in front of his children and forced them to witness the act.

Self was booked into the Polk County Jail. The case remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Polk County Police Department at 770-748-7331 or the GBI regional investigative office in Calhoun at 706-624-1424. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.

Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Polk County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.