Report: Paddock Sought Discipline Advice

(03/16/06 -- SMITHFIELD) (WTVD) -- A mother charged with killing a 4-year-old boy reportedly sought advice on how to discipline the child.

Lynn Paddock is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her adopted son, Sean, last month. Investigators say the 4-year-old boy suffocated after he was tied tightly with blankets inside the Paddocks' rural Johnston County home. They also say Sean and his brother and sister were beaten repeatedly with PVC plumbing pipe, leaving one of the kids limping.

There are reports that Lynn Paddock searched the Web for advice on discipline. She reportedly logged onto a Web site called nogreaterjoy.org. Run by an evangelical minister and his wife, the site advocates following the Biblical proverb teaching that sparing the rod spoils the child.

The site dedicates an entire section to "the rod" and suggests parents use "a quarter-inch plumber's supply line as a spanking instrument." The site even teaches technique: A swift swat with a light, flexible instrument will sting without bruising or causing internal damage.

The Web site reads, "The rod is an indispensable aid that will prepare him to make proper decisions when he is older."

Ron Ford is Sean Paddock's biological grandfather. He's fighting for custody of his two surviving grandchildren.

"You can go on the Internet and everything else and find articles like this. It just shouldn't be," Ford said. "At times, sure they need discipline, but you just don't beat them. It's beyond comprehension."

Eyewitness News went to the Paddock household Thursday. A man who identified himself as "Mr. Paddock" said he was not aware that the information had become public. He declined further comment, saying everything would come out in court.

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