Couple Charged for ‘Violent Trauma' to Baby

Authorities say it's one of the worst cases of child abuse they've seen.

An Abington man and woman are facing multiple charges in what authorities are describing as one of the worst child abuse cases they’ve seen.

The Montgomery News reports that Colleen Melissa Miller, 31, left a 7-month-old child she was supposed to be watching in the care of her ex-boyfriend, John Matthew O’Neill, 33, while she went out drinking one night in August until 3 a.m., at which time she returned home and asked O’Neill to leave.

What she discovered after he left, however, was blood – bloody diapers, bloody towels, bloody sheets and bloody baby wipes, according to the criminal complaint obtained by the Montco News.

Upon further inspection, Miller tells authorities she noticed something odd about the child while changing his diaper, but even that wasn’t enough for the woman to call for medical assistance. Although she did leave a message for a relative, reports the paper.

The relative received the message nearly six hours later.

She found the child unresponsive and bruised and rushed him to the hospital. He was promptly transferred to CHOP where he underwent emergency surgery, says the paper.

When questioned by police, O’Neill said the injuries were caused by a cat.

He is being held on $1 million bail, charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault of a child, indecent assault of a child, reckless endangerment, child endangerment and simple and aggravated assault, according to the Montgomery County News.

Miller is free on $50,000 bail awaiting trial. She is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, among other things.

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