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Background: Baptist Health Richmond hospital in Richmond, Kentucky (Google Maps). Inset: Steven Davis (Madison County Detention Center).
A Kentucky man is facing serious allegations after reportedly mistreating his young son in a hospital setting, including an accusation of forcing his fingers into the child’s throat to stifle his cries.
Twenty-year-old Steven Davis has been charged with first-degree criminal abuse involving a child aged 12 or younger, according to records from Madison County jail accessed by Law&Crime. He entered custody at the Madison County Detention Center on Thursday.
Details from an arrest report, sourced from WDKY, a local Fox affiliate, indicate that on February 4, Davis was at Baptist Health Richmond hospital in Richmond, situated roughly 30 miles southeast of Lexington, with his 1-year-old son. His fiancée was receiving care in the hospital’s Clinical Decision Unit, which the facility describes as a distinct area within the Emergency Department dedicated to emergency mental health services.
Authorities report that during their stay, the toddler attempted to leave the room, prompting Davis to forcefully pull him back by his arm, which alarmed hospital personnel. It is further alleged that Davis repeatedly dragged the boy around the room by his arm, twisting it and at one point forcefully placing him into a chair.
In an effort to soothe the child, Davis reportedly offered him a bottle. When the child began to cry, Davis allegedly reacted by hurling the bottle across the room.
As the child continued crying, the defendant pushed a blanket and his fingers inside the child’s mouth and down his throat, the criminal citation said, adding that the action caused the boy to gag and hit his head on a chair.
Richmond police officers investigated the incident, reportedly reviewing surveillance footage provided by the hospital. Davis was arrested and booked into jail.
The defendant was released on Friday after posting a $10,000 bond, the Madison County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office told Law&Crime, adding that he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.