There is never any excuse for abusing the child, and the public outcry associated with such a case is easy to see. This happened recently when a 26-year-old man abused his daughter and it became known.
That man, Gavin Rogers, has now been sentenced and will be spending time in jail after pleading guilty to domestic battery. The sentence came after he punished his newborn daughter for being ungrateful and mouth-shaped bruises were found on the infant.
Rogers appeared in court on March 28, trying to work out a plea deal that was somewhat successful. He will be spending one year behind bars and two years under supervised probation for the crime.
According to reports, Roger and a female companion brought the two-week-old infant to a hospital. When the medical staff saw all the bruises and teeth marks on the baby’s body, they contacted the police.
At first, Roger said that he may have kissed the baby and left the marks, but the extent of the injury suggested that there had been force used that would have resulted in severe pain.
The nursing staff also noted alarming behavior after they overheard Rogers referring to the baby as ungrateful, and evil. When the baby cried, he got frustrated.
Within a few days, the same nurse also reported seeing interactions between the father and baby, saying that the child’s demeanor changed when she was in his care compared to the mother.
“On another occasion in the room, (Rogers) had the baby completely undressed and lying in his lap. The baby appeared physically cold and was crying while he observed and recorded videos of her crying,” the affidavit details. “I am not comfortable entrusting this baby’s care to (Rogers).”
The staff at the hospital also noticed that when the daughter cried he became frustrated and they tried to educate him about the dangers of shaking a baby.
When Rogers was interviewed by the police, he disclosed he had been living with the baby and her mother for two weeks but typically, he lived with his parents in Greencastle. That was about 50 miles away.
In another interview, he admitted to giving the baby ‘love bites’ and admitted that he may have ‘nibbled too hard’
After being arrested, he served three months in jail and nine months in community corrections.