Atlantic City mayor indicted for allegedly asking his daughter to recant claims that he abused her
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Mayor Marty Small Sr. of Atlantic City has been charged with witness tampering for allegedly asking his daughter to recant claims she made to law enforcement officials that he had abused her, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said the indictment was handed down by a grand jury on Tuesday.
The suit alleges that in September 2024, six months after she was accused of abuse, Small asked her to do him a favor and “twist” the story she told police about alleged abuse.
Small, 50, is accused of asking his daughter to claim she suffered a head injury on January 13 when she tripped and fell in her bedroom. The mayor was previously accused of hitting her on the head several times with a broom during that incident, causing her to lose consciousness.
Small, whose attorney did not immediately return messages seeking comment Wednesday, has denied abusing his daughter. He calls the situation a private family matter that does not rise to the level of a crime.
The mayor’s wife, La’Quetta Small, superintendent of the city’s schools, is charged with child endangerment in connection with the original case. She also denies that anything went wrong.
The couple appeared in court on October 10 and pleaded not guilty to the original charges. Both are charged with child endangerment, and Marty Small is also charged with assault and making terroristic threats.
Authorities say both parents emotionally abused and beat the girl, who was 15 to 16 years old, at least once in December and January to the point of unconsciousness.
Prosecutors filed court papers in April saying the Smalls disapproved of their daughter’s boyfriend, who secretly used a video chat to record an alleged instance in which the mayor physically and verbally assaulted the girl.
According to an affidavit from prosecutors, the girl at one point acknowledged that she had made up the allegations because she was angry that her parents wouldn’t let her go out with friends. But in other sections, the document detailed the girl’s claims that the abuse was real, saying she photographed bruises and sent them to her boyfriend, who shared them with investigators.
Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds’ office cited evidence including recordings of interactions between the girl and her parents; her statements to police, school staff, a therapist and state child welfare investigators; and messages she sent to friends saying she didn’t feel safe at home.
The girl’s current whereabouts could not immediately be determined.
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