DeLand man accused of putting girl in oven: I've never hurt a kid

A DeLand man accused of putting a 3-year-old girl in an oven denied he did it Friday, offering his version of events.

• Terry May accused of putting 3-year-old in oven
• He says child was coached to say that he did it
• RELATED: DeLand man wanted on child abuse charges turns self in

Terry May, 45, turned himself into the Volusia County Jail on Thursday evening and then posted bond. According to the Volusia County Corrections, May's bond was $50,000.

Volusia County deputies say he abused the toddler and put her in an oven.

"Everybody is trying to make me be a bad guy, but I'm not. I'm innocent, totally innocent. I never harmed a kid in my life," May said.

The girl isn't May's daughter, but he said she is frequently left in his care. Investigators say that when he brought the 3-year old home last Thursday, she had several cuts, bruises, swelling and scars from her head to her feet.

Deputies said the 3-year-old's mother told them that while the child was staying with May for an extended time, the girl was abused and left with bruises and burns.

"I took her back on the 17th. She called DCF on the 19th. So she was in her home two days. So whatever happened to (the child) in those two days didn't happen in my home," May said.

May said the child was coached to say that he did it, but the Sheriff's Office thinks otherwise.

"Looking at the totality of the circumstances, we believe that probable cause exists he did it," Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.

The Florida Department of Children and Families said by law it can't release any information about whether there was a history of abuse reported in either the child's mother's home and May's.

"My oven heats at 350. If you put a kid in the oven, you think she's going to have a little burn mark?" May asked.

"To try to sift through this, that's why they're the experts. That's why they forensically redo these interviews and have the child do, they have all these strategies put in place. They are trained to do this," Chitwood said.

May has spent some years in prison for selling drugs but has no prior charges for abuse.

"I'm trying to fight all the way, all the way," May said.

May said he has five children of his own.

"I love kids with all my heart. I would never do anything to kids... Never in my life do anything to any kid," he said.