US father douses son in petrol, threatens to set him on fire

Josiah McIntosh. Photo / Supplied

Warning: Distressing content

A US father has been arrested after he poured petrol over his 4-year-old son and threatened to set him on fire to burn a "demon" out of him.

Josiah McIntosh, 27, was only stopped when another man intervened.

He hit that man in the head with a brick before fleeing on foot, eventually being found by police smelling of petrol and in possession of a lighter.

The disturbing incident took place in the Pennsylvania town of Johnstown last Wednesday, and came to light when police received reports of a "domestic disturbance".

On arrival, they found a 4-year-old boy naked and covered in petrol and a man nursing a head injury, WJAC news reported.

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reported that the boy was McIntosh's son.

The injured man told police that McIntosh had punched him in the jaw and hit him in the head with a brick when he tried to stop him setting the boy alight.

McIntosh reportedly told the man, "If we can't get out the demon, I'll burn it out of him."

"He splashed gasoline on the little boy and made a reference to setting him on fire," Officer Christopher Kesslak said.

Police found him nearby and he was taken into custody.

According to court documents, McIntosh now faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a person less than 6, simple assault, simple assault of a person under 12, arson, endangering the welfare of children and making terroristic threats.

He is being held on a US$75,000 ($126,000) bail.