Left: Jessica Oster. Right: James Oster (Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department).
A Pennsylvania couple has been charged with multiple offenses following allegations of assault against their 4-month-old son, who was reportedly taken to a hospital with extensive bruising and a split lip.
Jessica Oster, 26, admitted to police that she acted out of frustration over her son’s crying, using excessive force while feeding him, according to the Northern Lancaster County Police Department.
As detailed in charging documents reviewed by the local LNP newspaper, Oster initially claimed she had left the child alone for 20 to 30 minutes after feeding him, only to find him with a damaged lip upon her return. She later confessed to forcefully inserting the bottle into his mouth in a moment of anger, police reports indicate.
The child’s father, James Oster, also faces allegations of abuse, having reportedly admitted to squeezing and causing bruises on the boy during a bath. Charging documents reveal that James Oster confessed to holding the infant’s head and pulling it back to prevent him from submerging face-first in the water.
According to a press release from the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department, they were alerted on April 22, 2026, by UPMC Lititz Hospital regarding a suspected child abuse case. Medical professionals informed detectives of the child’s injuries, which included a lip laceration, ecchymosis, and a laceration of the upper frenulum, along with various bruises and abrasions on his body.
Asked how the child got the bruises, Jessica Oster told investigators she believed they were either from her husband bathing him or the boy’s bouncy seat. She said they often put him in the bouncy seat with a bottle propped up by a blanket to feed him while they were in a completely different room, according to the charging documents.
Investigators examined the bouncy seat and reported a strong smell of urine and urine stains soaked through to the bottom of the seat.
“As a result of the investigation, Jessica Oster was charged with aggravated assault (2 counts), simple assault, endangering the welfare of children (2 counts), and recklessly endangering another person,” the NLCRPD release says. “James Oster was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of children (2 counts), and recklessly endangering another person.”
Police have referred all questions about who currently has custody of the boy to the Lancaster County Children & Youth Agency. The agency has not responded to requests for comment.
The Osters are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.