BATAVIA, Ohio — A Batavia father was charged after his 3-month-old baby boy was brought to the hospital with several fractures.
The Clermont County Sheriff's Office said their investigative unit was contacted on Thursday, October 6 by Clermont County Children's Protective Services after doctors determined the baby had fractures to his head, ribs, arms and legs that required immediate admittance to the intensive care unit at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The baby had been transported to the hospital due to leg swelling. Physicians said the injuries were "non-accidental trauma related."
The Sheriff's Office said detectives interviewed the baby's father, 23-year-old Cameron Rush, and determined the child lives at an apartment complex on Lucy Run Road in Batavia Township. A search warrant was executed at the address, and detectives processed the scene. Rush admitted to detectives he was responsible for the baby's injuries, which occurred days prior to being taken to the hospital.
"He's admitted that the baby would wake up through the night and cry and this would frustrate him to the point that he just - in his own words - he would squeeze the s*** out of its head," said Clermont County Sheriff's detective Jason Swallen.
Rush was charged Tuesday with one count of endangering children, a second-degree felony, and with one count of felonious assault, which is also a second-degree felony. He was taken to the Clermont County Jail.
Rush appeared in court Wednesday where his bond was set at $500,000.
The prosecutor said the child suffered multiple fractures to both legs, fractures of the arms, multiple skull fractures, jaw fractures and multiple rib fractures. The child was also severely underweight.
"He took the infant's head and squeezed as hard as he could, causing the multiple skull fractures and - we believe - the jaw fractures as well," the prosecutor said in court Wednesday. "There was a second incident at which point the defendant actually admitted to slamming the infant into the changing table and - I can only explain it as almost like performing like a pile driver with the child where he slammed the child's legs up over its head."
The Clermont County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is ongoing and will be further reviewed by the county prosecutor's office for consideration of additional charges to present to a grand jury.
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