A 20-year-old father is facing serious allegations of abuse against his young son, accused of forcefully inserting his fingers into the child’s mouth to stop him from crying. Steven Davis, a resident of Kentucky, has been charged with first-degree criminal abuse of a child under 12, according to records from the Madison County jail. He was apprehended at the Madison County Detention Center on Thursday.
Reports obtained from a local media source indicate that on February 4th, Davis was at Baptist Health Richmond hospital with his one-year-old son while his fiancée was receiving treatment in the hospital’s specialized Clinical Decision Unit, designed for emergency mental health services.
Allegedly, the child attempted to leave the room, prompting Davis to forcefully bring him back inside, causing concern among hospital staff. Investigators claim that Davis physically mistreated the boy by dragging him around the room, twisting his arm, and slamming him into a chair on multiple occasions.
In a disturbing turn of events, Davis reportedly threw a bottle across the room when the child cried, causing the toddler to gag and hit their head on a chair. Subsequently, to silence the child’s crying, Davis allegedly pushed a blanket and his fingers into the child’s mouth and down his throat.
Following an investigation by Richmond police and a review of hospital surveillance footage, Davis was arrested and taken into custody. He was later released on a $10,000 bond after appearing in court. A preliminary hearing is set to take place on Wednesday, according to the Madison County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
